RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia law that went into effect January 1 eliminates out-of-pocket costs for additional breast cancer tests, such as mammograms, ultrasounds and MRIs.
The Diagnostic Supplemental Breast Imaging Law removes the financial barrier for women who are told to come back for additional breast cancer screenings. The General Assembly unanimously approved the legislation last year, and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed it into law.
"I remember when they were fighting for this bill. I mean this is a big win for a lot of women here in Virginia," Dr. Kelley Allison said.
Allison is the chief of breast imaging at VCU Health.
"It's still pretty early to know for sure. It's only been on for a few months, but what I can say is we have heard less concerns when women are checking in," Allison said.
Delegate Shelly Simonds from Newport News sponsored the bill. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor.
"The problem is many times women show up at the doctor's office for the secondary screens and are asked to provide an upfront payment of $300, $500, even $1,000. We know that is a huge barrier to care," Simonds said.
Getting the law passed was the first hurdle. Now, it is about making sure women know about it.
"I don't think a lot of women know about this, you know, it's a very important bill that was passed and the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation did an excellent job of helping to push it through and we're so thankful for people who participated in that," Allison said.
"I think at this point, you know, getting the word out to women to let them know to just lessen those barriers so they know they can come in and not have to worry about those financial constraints is so important," Allison said.
The state law does not apply to plans regulated by the federal government, which includes many large employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
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