Wakefield Delegation Helps Expand Access to Breast Cancer Screenings

BOSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Donald Wong joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass legislation that requires health insurers to provide coverage for diagnostic examinations for breast cancer.

An Act relative to medically necessary breast screenings and exams for equity and early detection requires health insurance providers to provide coverage for diagnostic examinations for breast cancer, digital breast tomosynthesis screening, and medically necessary and appropriate screening with breast magnetic resonance imaging. Although access to routine preventive screening mammograms is currently covered under the federal Affordable Care Act, this legislation goes further by requiring coverage for certain screenings and exams that are not currently uniformly covered.

“I was pleased to support passage of this important healthcare legislation,” said State Senator Jason Lewis. “It will ensure that all women are able to access all medically necessary and appropriate breast cancer screenings, which will enable early detection and save lives.”

“One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and in this year alone, more than 6000 people in Massachusetts will be diagnosed,” said State Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian. “I was proud to join the legislature to pass this critical legislation that will ensure Massachusetts residents are afforded the opportunity to access all necessary screenings for breast cancer detection. Early detection saves lives, and this bill will allow Massachusetts to remain a national leader in providing screenings and care.”

“I was proud to support this important legislation, which ensures that all women have full access to breast cancer screenings-an essential step in saving lives,” said State Representative Donald Wong.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, breast cancer was the leading cancer among Massachusetts women between 2016 and 2020, accounting for over 30% of all new cancer diagnoses in the state, afflicting more than 30,000 individuals and resulting in 4,010 deaths. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is localized and detected early, the five year relative survival rate is 99%.

After final passage in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Governor Maura Healey signed the bill into law on November 14, 2024.