Members of Congress reintroduce bill requiring insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging

Legislation targeting supplemental breast imaging was recently reintroduced in Congress.  

The Find It Early Act would ensure all women have access to supplemental exams, such as ultrasound and MRI, with no out-of-pocket costs. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Con., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., reintroduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The duo was joined by Katie Couric, who has been a staunch supporter of the Find It Early Act since its first proposal in 2022, which coincided with her own cancer diagnosis. Couric described the bill as “a critical step toward improving access” to life-saving screenings. 

“On June 21, 2022, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I feel incredibly fortunate that I was diagnosed early, but so many women find out too late,” Couric, co-founder of Katie Couric Media and Stand Up To Cancer, said in a news release. “Forty-five percent of women who are 40 years old and over have dense breasts, and as a result, mammograms alone can miss tumors or other suspicious tissue in those women.  Improving access and coverage for additional testing—especially for women like me with dense breasts—will save lives. 

Current legislation requires that insurers cover regular breast cancer screening mammograms. However, coverage for supplemental exams in women who need additional imaging due to suspicious findings, dense breast tissue or family history of breast cancer is not guaranteed. Currently, around 31 states have enacted laws that require coverage of these exams, but this leaves behind nearly half of the women in the U.S. 

Numerous studies have shown that women are significantly more likely to forego supplemental imaging recommended by their provider if the exams would require out-of-pocket costs. Without guaranteed coverage, these women are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer once it has progressed, making it more difficult to treat.