Lawmakers override governor’s veto of bill requiring insurers to cover all breast imaging

Lawmakers have overridden the Oklahoma governor’s recent veto of a bill requiring health insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging. 

Republican Gov. J. Kevin Stitt first issued the decision on May 5, contending the measure would impose “costly insurance mandates on private health plans” that would raise premiums. The Sooner State legislature responded Thursday, prompting a standing ovation following the vote to override Stitt’s veto.  

House Bill 1389 was proposed by Rep. Melissa Provenzano, who is currently battling breast cancer, and passed in a unanimous 95-0 vote. Oklahoma joins around 30 other states that require health plans to cover breast MRIs and ultrasounds, often needed when a woman has dense breasts or a genetic disposition to the disease. The provision will officially take effect Nov. 1. 

“This legislation will save lives,” Provenzano, a Tulsa Democrat, said in a statement May 30. “Early detection is the key. I am so glad to receive such overwhelming bipartisan support for it. In 2022, we passed legislation to cover diagnostic mammograms, but since then, we know not every Oklahoma woman has access to the same machines and tests. H.B. 1389 clarifies that law so that every Oklahoman can get the care they need covered by their insurance, regardless of their ZIP code. I am so glad to join other states in creating this law and work toward making Oklahoma a nationwide leader in breast cancer care.”

Women serving in the state house issued a joint statement on Saturday, May 31, expressing “profound disappointment” over Gov. Stitt’s decision to override the bill. They labeled the veto as “disheartening to patients, doctors, families and the very values we all hold dear in our great state.” 

Breast care advocacy group Susan G. Komen also celebrated the bill’s passage on Friday. Previously, the organization has estimated that women can sometimes pay anywhere from $200 out of pocket for an ultrasound up to over $1,000 for a breast MRI. Extra charges lead to 1 in 5 women skipping additional testing if they don’t have the funds, a study in Radiology found.

“These critical tests can be expensive and unfortunately many people forego them due to cost,” Komen said in a statement May 30. “Early detection of breast cancer is not possible without the medically necessary supplemental imaging required for those at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.”

Oklahoma joins other states such as Florida and Arkansas, which have passed similar legislation in 2025. Bipartisan members of Congress in both chambers also have proposed legislation mandating coverage for supplemental breast imaging nationwide.  

Oklahoma requires two-thirds of representatives and senators to vote in favor of a measure to override it. Stitt posted a video on Thursday in response to this and other votes to undo his veto decisions, Oklahoma Voice reported May 30. 

“This is stuff I know is bad for Oklahoma, bad for taxpayers,” he said in the video. “And you’ve got the Senate and House and special interest groups that are trying to override my vetoes.”