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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	April 1, 2022 10:39 AM
From:	Senator Bob Mensch
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Enhanced Coverage of MRI’s and Ultrasounds for Women with Dense Breasts

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to build off of Act 52 of 2020, and complete the original goal of ensuring insurance coverage for breast density screenings and other high-risk conditions for breast cancer.   This legislation would amend the Insurance Company Law of 1921 which was fortified by Act 52.  This will clarify that the MRI/Ultrasound coverage extends to women with any of the following risk factors, and without the application of any deductible, copayment or coinsurance provisions contained in the policy or plan: personal history of atypical breast histologies; personal history or family history of breast cancer; genetic predisposition for breast cancer; prior therapeutic thoracic radiation therapy; extremely dense or heterogeneously dense breast tissue based on breast composition categories of the Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System established by the American College of Radiology. As we now know, dense breast complicates early detection of breast cancer, and women who have extremely dense breast tissue are at a 4-6 times greater risk of developing breast cancer.   Typical mammogram films of breasts with higher density are harder to read and interpret than those of less dense breasts. Breast density is one of the strongest predictors of the failure of mammography screening to detect cancer, with a mammogram missing at least 40% of tumors in women with the densest breasts. Both cancer and density appear white on a mammogram so detecting tumors is much more difficult in denser breasts without further screening provided by an ultrasound or an MRI.   Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation to finish the great work we all did in passing Act 52.  If you have any questions, please call David Kozak in my office at 717-787-3110.

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