Prohibits state contracts with contractors who do not provide health insurance which covers supplemental breast cancer screenings

• Democratic2
• Republican1

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Lea Webb says this is needed

The bill is designed to address one of the problems that arise when a person is covered by a self-funded or self-insured health plan. Under these plans, the employer assumes the financial risk for providing health care benefits to its employees. These plans are largely governed at the federal level under ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Securi- ty Act), therefore superseding the applicability of any state law, including a law enacted in 2016 which requires health insurance compa- nies to cover the costs of supplemental imaging for all women (Chapter 74 of 2016). Self-funded plans are exempt from certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, self-funded plans which enjoy grand- fathered status are afforded further exemptions under the ACA. Unfortu- nately, these plans often fail to cover many health services, including supplemental breast cancer screenings. Mammograms are an effective breast cancer screening method that can detect the disease at an early stage when treatment is most effective. However, for women with dense breast tissue, supplemental screening, in the form of an ultrasound or MRI, is necessary to properly determine the presence or absence of breast cancer. For women enrolled in self-funded plans, uncertainty over insurance coverage and high copay/deductibles deter supplemental screenings, which in some cases can have dire health consequences. For the state to properly address the problems presented by self-funded plans, creative solutions are required. This bill leverages the contracting power of our government to support women and their families by requiring any contractor wishing to do business with the state to provide their employees with health coverage that includes supplemental breast cancer screenings.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.