Idaho committee advances bill to require private insurers to cover supplemental breast imaging for high‑risk patients

BOISE — The House Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 134 to the full House with a due‑pass recommendation after testimony from clinicians, cancer survivors and insurers arguing that private insurance should cover supplemental breast imaging for women at elevated risk.

The bill, presented by Representative Brooke Green, D‑District 18, and introduced by Representative Healy, D‑District 15, would require private health plans regulated by the state (excluding Medicaid and self‑insured plans) to cover supplemental breast screening — including MRI, contrast‑enhanced mammography or ultrasound — for people with heightened breast‑cancer risk due to factors such as BRCA1/2 mutations, prior chest radiation, very dense breast tissue or a relevant family history.

Supporters told the committee that these supplemental tools can detect cancers mammography can miss, lower long‑term treatment costs and save lives. “This bill simply corrects inconsistencies,” Representative Green said. “While mammograms are covered with no out‑of‑pocket costs, patients requiring follow‑up imaging face significant financial barriers.”

Physi…