KANSAS CITY - Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt is backing a bill that would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for certain breast cancer screenings.
Schmidt testified Monday in support of Senate Bill 409, which would require insurance plans to fully cover supplemental and diagnostic detection services such as MRIs, ultrasounds, and diagnostic mammograms.
These additional tests are often ordered after inconclusive mammogram results caused by abnormalities or dense breast tissue — a condition affecting nearly half of women over 40.
A breast cancer survivor herself, Schmidt says early detection saved her life and that Kansans should not face higher costs when follow-up screenings are needed.
The bill would remove cost-sharing requirements for insurance plans that already cover these imaging services, ensuring patients pay nothing out of pocket for necessary tests.
The Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance held a hearing on the measure Monday, ahead of the Susan G. Komen Day of Action at the Capitol on Wednesday, where Schmidt is expected to speak.