The Senate advanced a bill Thursday that aims to remove financial barriers to early cancer detection, targeting breast cancer.
Supporters of the legislation say eliminating out-of-pocket costs for screenings and follow-up diagnostic tests could lead to earlier detection, fewer late-stage diagnoses and lower long-term health care costs.
The measure that passed, House Bill 300, introduced by Representative Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, would require state-regulated insurance plans “pay or reimburse for breast examinations, including mammography, provide the coverage without imposing a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance charge on the beneficiary.”
Currently, most insured women beginning at age 40 can receive screening mammograms at no cost. However, if an abnormality is detected, patients often face out-of-pocket expenses for follow-up diagnostic imaging such as a mammogram, MRI or ultrasound.
Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 177 on a 30–0 vote with no debate. Sponsored by Senator Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, a piece of identical legislation. The measure is pending in the House Insurance Committee.
“Now Alabama can come into compliance with the rest of the states around us so that we can really take note of women’s health and breast cancer and finding a cure for it,” Coleman-Madison said on the Senate floor.
“ACS CAN applauds the swift, bipartisan support for this bill and thanks lawmakers including sponsors Representative Frances Holk-Jones and Senator Linda Coleman-Madison,” said Jane Adams, government relations director for ACS CAN in Alabama. “We urge all Alabamians to get a breast cancer screening and any recommended follow-up testing.”
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 730 women in the state will die from the disease this year, and between 2019 and 2023 Alabama’s breast cancer death rate was 20.4 per 100,000 women.
The American Cancer Society notes that while early detection lowers the risk of death, screenings are not perfect. About 12 percent of women screened receive results requiring further evaluation, though only about 5 percent of women with an abnormal mammogram ultimately have cancer.
“Every patient deserves to have all the testing they need, without cost concerns,” said Adams. “The elimination of out-of-pocket cost sharing nationwide could prevent more than 7,500 later-stage breast cancer diagnoses and save lives.”
The bill now heads to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for signature.
