HARRISBURG, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from March 2.
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a historic bill that would eliminate costs for women at high risk for breast cancer to get screened.
Senate Bill 8 would allow women at high risk for hereditary cancers to have genetic testing, counseling, MRIs and ultrasounds at no cost.
High-risk conditions covered by the bill include dense breast tissue, a personal or family history of breast cancer, genetic predisposition and prior radiation therapy.
The measure was sponsored by Senate Pro Tempore Kim Ward, who is also a breast cancer survivor. Sen. Ward worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and said SB8 received bipartisan support.
Legislators say it expands upon Act 52 of 2020, which required insurers to cover breast MRIs and ultrasounds for women with high-risk factors. Senate Bill 8 is step two, they say, eliminating costs including co-pays, deductibles or co-insurance for those screenings and BRCA-related genetic testing and counseling.
“I lost my mother to breast cancer when she was just 58, and seven close family members to cancer in just a decade, so this bill is personal for me – as it is for many people,” Sen. Camera Bartolotta said. “This bill will give people hope by granting them access to testing that can diagnose them when their cancer is in an earlier, and more treatable, stage.”
For more information on Senate Bill 8, click here.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.