States Advance Breast Cancer Screening Bills, Colorado Rejects Scope Bill

March 21, 2022 — Oklahoma’s House passes breast cancer screening legislation. Alabama introduces a bill to permit telehealth for physicians, while Colorado introduces a bill aligning out-of-network provisions with the federal law. Colorado’s House voted against a bill that would have expanded physician assistants (PAs) scope of practice.

Breast Cancer Screening

In Connecticut, Senate Bill 358 will be heard before the Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate. If enacted, the bill would require carriers to cover a baseline mammogram for enrollees 35–39 years of age and annual mammograms for enrollees if they are 40 years of age or older. Carriers would also be required to cover annual mammograms if enrollees are younger than 40 if they are at increased risk for breast cancer due to:

A family history of breast cancer.
Positive genetic testing for the harmful variant of breast cancer gene one, breast cancer gene two or any other gene variant that increases the risk for breast cancer.
Prior treatment for a childhood cancer if the course of treatment for the childhood cancer included radiation therapy directed at the chest.
Other indications as determined by the enrollee’s medical provider.

Carriers would cover diagnostic and screening ultrasounds for enrollees that meet the above criteria or demonstrate dense breast tissue. The bill would strike language in the current statute that guarantees breast tomosynthesis for women with a higher risk for breast cancer.

The Radiological Society of Connecticut is monitoring this measure.

In Oklahoma, House Bill (HB) 3504 passed the House. If enacted, the bill would require carriers to cover diagnostic mammography, which would include breast magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound. The definition of screening mammography would also be modified to include breast tomosynthesis.

Scope of Practice

In Colorado, HB 22-1095 failed in the House. The bill sponsors sought to permit PAs who have completed 3,000 or more practice hours to practice without physician supervision.

The Colorado Radiological Society opposed the bill.

Telehealth

In Alabama, HB 423 was introduced and referred to the House Health Committee. If enacted, the bill would permit licensed physicians, to practice telemedicine in the state.

Out-of-Network Billing

In Colorado, HB 22-1284 was introduced and referred to the House Health and Insurance Committee. If enacted, the bill would align state law with the federal No Surprises Act.

For more information about these bills or any other state legislative issue, contact Tina Getachew, American College of Radiology® (ACR) Government Affairs Specialist.

The ACR has partnered with Fiscal Note, a legislation and regulation tracking service, to provide continuous, comprehensive updates on radiology and healthcare related legislation. Members can opt in for Fiscal Note reports by contacting Eugenia Brandt, ACR Director of State Government Affairs. To stay current on state legislative developments relevant to radiology, view the American College of Radiology policy map.

For more information: www.acr.org