The U.S. Senate has defeated legislation that would have enabled medical insurance companies to skirt state laws requiring them to offer coverage for preventive services like mammography screening.
In a vote taken on May 11, Senate Republicans were unable to overcome Democratic opposition to S. 1955, also known as the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act (HIMMA). The goal of the legislation was to make it more affordable for small businesses to offer health insurance for their employees by allowing them to form associations to purchase health insurance plans.
But the bill also included a provision that would have allowed insurance companies to ignore state mandates to cover screening procedures, such as mammography. At present, 49 states require medical insurers to cover mammography screening.
S. 1955 actually was on the favorable end of a 55-43 Senate vote, but supporters needed 60 votes to invoke a "cloture" measure that would have limited debate on the bill and brought it to a final vote, according to KaiserHealthNetwork.org.
There are several other bills pending in Congress that would address the issue of small-business healthcare coverage, including measures that do not include the screening-services exemption.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writers
May 12, 2006
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Mammography rates tied to ethnic disparities in breast cancer outcomes, April 18, 2006
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