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

BOISE — The Idaho Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted to send House Bill 134 to the Senate floor with a do‑pass recommendation after testimony from bill sponsors and several physicians who said supplemental breast imaging can detect cancers mammograms miss.

The bill, introduced by Representatives Brooke Green (D‑Boise) and Healy (R‑District 15), would require Idaho health insurance plans other than Medicaid and self‑insured plans regulated under federal law to cover supplemental breast cancer screening — specifically MRI, contrast enhanced mammography or whole‑breast ultrasound — for patients clinically identified as high risk due to factors such as BRCA1/2 gene mutations, prior chest radiation or extremely dense breast tissue.

Supporters told the committee the change is intended to align benefits with current medical practice for high‑risk patients and to ensure payment parity with routine mammography. “This legislation … ensures imaging is used only for patients who clinically require it,” Representative Brooke…