The Rhode Island Senate approved a bill requiring insurance companies to cover all costs of colorectal cancer screening, according to a March 23 report from WPRI.
The bill would require health insurers to cover the cost of CRC screenings and tests in accordance with American Cancer Society guidelines. It was sponsored by Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, D-Providence, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019.
"Copays, cost-sharing and insurers that don't cover pre-screenings only discourage people from getting the care they need to protect themselves," Ms. Goodwin said in the report. "This legislation will save lives by increasing access to these life-saving screenings."
Next, the Rhode Island House will take up a companion bill.