HARRISBURG – Expanding on Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking law to provide no-cost screenings for those at high risk of breast cancer, Sen. Chris Gebhard, R-48, announced that the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee unanimously approved Senate Bill 88 to expand the law in several ways, including the addition of diagnostic screenings.

“Preventive health care such as genetic testing and breast MRIs are indispensable for early cancer detection and treatment,” said Gebhard. “Act 1 of 2023 was historic legislation and this bill aims to build on that success, providing no-cost diagnostic breast imaging and ultimately cutting costs and improving health outcomes.”

Senate Bill 88 would allow an individual who finds an abnormality on a supplemental screening which is currently covered, to also get a diagnostic screening at no cost. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Frank Farry, R-6, and Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-39, expands the number of supplemental screenings available and ensures no-cost diagnostic imaging for patients.

“Act 1 of 2023 was a landmark step forward – we broke down barriers and brought hope to thousands of women by making supplemental breast cancer screening and testing available at no cost. But we know that screening is just one part of early detection, and far too many patients are still being hit with costs for the diagnostic imaging they need next,” said Ward. “It’s time to finish what we started and make sure every woman has access to the full range of breast imaging, including diagnostic exams, without cost standing in the way.”

“This legislation builds on the historic progress we made with Act 1 of 2023,” said Farry. “We’re now ensuring that every method of early breast cancer detection is accessible – so that no woman is forced to delay critical follow-up care due to financial barriers. This cause is deeply personal to me, as my wife has been bravely fighting breast cancer for the past year and a half. I’m proud to champion this legislation alongside Sen. Ward, my colleagues and dedicated advocates to ensure more women get the care they need – because early detection saves lives.”

Pennsylvania was the first state nationwide to adopt legislation that eliminated cost sharing for high-risk individuals for supplemental screening procedures such as MRIs and ultrasounds. Following the enactment of Act 1, an additional 26 states followed our lead. However, Pennsylvania is now the only one of those states with a law that doesn’t include diagnostic coverage.

Senate Bill 88 applies to both high-risk individuals and those with an average risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. By moving to align state law with federal guidance from the Health Resources and Services Administration, Pennsylvania will effectively expand the number of individuals who may now benefit from early detection methods without cost-sharing.

In 2023, Senate Bill 8 – which became Act 1 – was sponsored by Sen. Ward and cosponsored by Sens. Devlin Robinson, R-37, and Tracy Pennycuick, R-24.

Senate Bill 88 is supported by the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the American Cancer Society, and it is not opposed by insurers. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.