Lawmakers push to expand breast cancer screenings | Bills and Laws

The skinny

Lawmakers have introduced bills in Congress that are designed to help more women get screened for breast cancer.

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, have sponsored a bill to help more women get screened for breast cancer.

Sponsors

U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, have sponsored a bill (S. 5141) in the Senate. U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., have sponsored a similar bill (H.R. 3086) in the House of Representatives.

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Summary

The sponsors say the legislation, dubbed the Find It Early Act, would require all health insurance plans to cover breast cancer screenings with no cost-sharing.

The legislation would cover mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, and molecular imaging, lawmakers say.

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Analysis

The senators introduced their bill in early October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a breast cancer survivor, Klobuchar appreciates the importance of screenings and says she wants to make sure more women have access to tests that could save their lives.

“Early detection is an important step in improving health outcomes for patients,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “While I was fortunate to have had a routine screening catch cancer at an early stage, that is not the case for many. This bipartisan legislation will enable more women to access screenings and diagnostic exams, which can make a big difference in treating this disease early.”

Marshall, a physician, said the legislation would improve coverage of follow-up care for women.

"This bill is a crucial step in ensuring that all women have access to the additional imaging they need for early detection of breast cancer, without the burden of extra costs … This is a great first step that has the opportunity to change lives,” Marshall said in a statement.

U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., have sponsored a House bill to expand breast cancer screenings.

DeLauro and Fitzpatrick, the sponsors of the House measure, introduced their bill in May 2023. They pushed similar legislation in the previous congressional session but couldn’t get it passed, but they’re trying again.

“Early detection is key – 99 percent of women who receive an early breast cancer diagnosis survive it,” DeLauro said when the House lawmakers introduced the bill.

Fitzpatrick pointed to a dip in breast cancer screenings as an argument for the legislation.

“Increasing access to cancer screenings is one of the most effective tools to improve outcomes for women diagnosed with breast cancer,” he said last year.

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Supporters

The legislation boasts a household name as a supporter. Katie Couric, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, has backed the Find It Early Act and said she wants to see all women get screened.

“We must strengthen access and coverage for additional testing, specifically for women like me with dense breasts,” Couric said in a statement supporting the House bill last year.

Other organizations supporting the legislation include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; the American College of Surgeons; and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging issued a statement supporting the legislation, noting that most breast cancer cases are found in women with dense breasts.

“Unfortunately, imaging technologies that can detect cancer in dense breasts are often unavailable because insurance does not cover them, and patients cannot afford the high out-of-pocket costs for these important scans,” the society said.

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