Dense Breast Info (DBI) has issued a statement of support for “Find It Early Act” HR 3086, a bill that addresses insurance barriers to breast cancer screening beyond an initial mammogram.
If passed, HR 3086 would require insurers to cover additional ultrasound or MRI screenings with no out-of-pocket costs for women with dense breasts or at higher risk (for example, BRCA or other disease-causing mutation carriers, those with family/personal history of cancer, or other reason), according to DBI.
Beginning September 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require that women be informed after their mammograms whether their breasts are “dense” or “not dense.” They may benefit from supplemental screenings; however, insurance coverage for the extra tests is not assured and can vary from state to state and insurer to insurer. HR 3086 seeks to close loopholes inherent in individual state insurance laws and cover both private and public plans including TRICARE and VHA.
The bipartisan bill was first introduced in December 2022 by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and reporter Katie Couric, and reintroduced in May 2023.
