Bill > S03559

This bill amends the public health law to expand insurance coverage for breast ultrasounds when a patient has dense breast tissue. Specifically, the bill requires mammography service providers to inform patients if their mammogram shows dense breast tissue, explaining that while dense tissue is common, it can make detecting cancer more difficult and may be associated with increased cancer risk. The bill defines dense breast tissue as "heterogeneously dense" or "extremely dense" tissue, as defined by professional medical imaging guidelines like the American College of Radiology's breast imaging reporting system. Importantly, the bill stipulates that when a mammography provider issues a notice about dense breast tissue to a patient, this notice will now be automatically considered a medical necessity determination, which means health insurance providers must cover a follow-up breast ultrasound. This change aims to improve early detection of breast cancer for patients with dense breast tissue by removing potential insurance barriers to additional screening.

Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3559