HARRISBURG – Two bills related to breast cancer have passed the PA Senate. Senate Bill 1225 eliminates out-of-pocket costs of breast MRI and ultrasound screenings for women at high-risk. It covers PA women with high-risk conditions including a personal history of breast cancer, family history, genetic predisposition, dense breast tissue or radiation therapy. Studies show breast MRI is more than two times as effective than even 3D mammograms in detecting breast cancer in women at high-risk. Senate Bill 1330 requires health insurance policies to cover, without patient cost-sharing, genetic counseling and genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations. BRCA mutations are shown to increase a person’s chance of developing various hereditary cancers including breast and ovarian cancers. Both bills go to the PA House.
