Pennsylvania passes bill requiring coverage for supplemental breast imaging
Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday approved legislation requiring health insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging such as MRIs and ultrasounds.
Members of the State House passed Senate Bill 88 after it previously cleared the Senate, sending the measure to Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is expected to sign it. If finalized, the move would make Pennsylvania the 31st state to finalize legislation eliminating out-of-pocket costs for these follow-up exams after an abnormal screening mammogram.
The bill was backed by numerous supports including Susan G. Komen, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, Erie News Now reported Nov. 19.
“What Rep. Gina Curry, Sen. Frank Farry, Sen. Kim Ward and the General Assembly did today was effectively eliminate barriers to essential care so that all Pennsylvanians are able to receive their medically necessary diagnostic and supplemental imaging without high patient cost sharing,” Marisa Shaaban, Susan G. Komen’s policy and advocacy manager for Pennsylvania, told Radiology Business by email. “This life-saving legislation will allow for earlier breast cancer diagnosis and better health outcomes.”
Shaaban noted that other supporters of the bill included the Pennsylvania Radiological Society, the PA Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the PA Health Access Network. The Keystone State joins others in passing supplemental breast imaging legislation this year including Oklahoma, Florida, Arkansas and Virginia.
Susan G. Komen also continues to push for a national solution to this issue: the Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act. Members of Congress in both chambers introduced the bill in April, which Shaaban said will “ensure all people across the country—regardless of if that have state or federally regulated insurance—have access to the breast cancer screening they require.” A recent survey from SGK found that 90% of voters polled agree health insurers should cover all recommended breast imaging.
"Patients shouldn't have to choose between financial stability and lifesaving care. The ABCD Act fills a critical gap in early detection, and these findings reinforce why eliminating imaging costs is essential,” Molly Guthrie, VP of policy and advocacy for Komen, said in October.
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.