Alabama passes legislation requiring insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging
Alabama recently passed legislation requiring insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging, joining a growing number of states who have done the same.
House Bill 300 was officially enacted on March 5 after it was signed into law by Republican Gov. Kay Ivey. The bill requires payers to cover medically necessary breast exams such as contrast-enhanced mammography, ultrasounds and MRIs with no patient cost-sharing.
Patient advocacy organization Susan G. Komen on Monday commended Alabama lawmakers for pushing the bill across the finish line.
“Thousands of Alabamians require diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging every year, yet due to the high out of pocket costs, many forgo these critical services. Not anymore,” Molly Guthrie, Komen’s VP of policy and advocacy, said in a statement March 9. “This life-saving legislation ensures they can receive the breast imaging they require, likely leading to earlier diagnosis and better health outcomes.”
The legislation was introduced earlier this year by Rep. Frances Holk-Jones and Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison. While insurers are required to cover annual screening mammography, the same does not apply for follow-up scans including ultrasounds and MRIs. “Exorbitant” out of pocket costs can keep women from undergoing these crucial exams, often needed when initial imaging results are inconclusive.
Alabama joins approximately 30 other states that also have passed supplemental breast imaging legislation. Kansas and New Jersey recently introduced their own versions in February. Radiology advocates also have pushed a national fix to this problem, with bills such as the Find it Early Act previously introduced in Congress. However, they have failed to find passage.
“I’m proud to carry HB300 in the Alabama House of Representatives because expanding access to breast cancer screening without out-of-pocket costs will save lives across our state,” Rep. Holk-Jone said in January. “When we remove financial barriers to preventative care, we give Alabama women and their families the best chance to catch cancer early—when it’s most treatable.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.