Bill > S553

This bill introduces comprehensive changes to breast cancer screening and health insurance coverage in North Carolina. The legislation requires health benefit plans to provide coverage for diagnostic and supplemental breast cancer examinations with cost-sharing requirements no less favorable than screening mammograms, and expands the types of breast cancer screening procedures that will be covered, including breast ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging for women with dense breast tissue or specific risk factors. The bill updates mammography reporting requirements to include more detailed information about breast density and potential additional screening options, and mandates that facilities provide patients with clear, informative language about dense breast tissue and its implications. Additionally, the bill appropriates $3.6 million in 2025-2026 and $5 million in 2026-2027 to implement these changes in the State Health Plan, and allocates $1.5 million to develop a program for recruiting and retaining mammography technologists in rural and medically underserved areas. The provisions will take effect on October 1, 2025, and apply to insurance contracts issued, renewed, or amended after that date, with the goal of improving early detection and accessibility of breast cancer screening for women in North Carolina.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S553