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Administration signs Breast Cancer Equity and Early Detection Act to remove cost barriers for follow-up screening
Summary
The governor signed the Breast Cancer Equity and Early Detection Act at a ceremony with legislators and health leaders. Sponsors said the law will remove out-of-pocket costs for follow-up breast imaging — including tomosynthesis and other diagnostic tests — to improve early detection and reduce disparities.
The governor signed the Breast Cancer Equity and Early Detection Act at a ceremony with legislative sponsors and health advocates, saying the law will expand access to follow-up breast cancer screening and help detect cancer earlier.
At the event, the governor said, "If there's one thing we know about breast cancer, it's that early detection saves lives," and thanked sponsors including Sen. Mike Rush and Rep. Ruth Balzer. The governor also noted that MassHealth already covers each item required by the law and described the bill as removing barriers "of cost or other barriers" to screening.
Sen. Mike Rush, one of the bill's sponsors, said the law reflects broad cooperation in the Legislature and argued that "no individual should have to choose … between their own health … and paying bills," framing the measure as a matter of access and equity. Chairman Jamie Murphy, a House sponsor, recounted the bill's multi-year legislative history and cited screening statistics, saying roughly "1 in 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year" and estimating about "7,000 women in Massachusetts" receive a diagnosis annually.
Sen. Joan Lovely, who first sponsored related legislation in 2017 with Rep. Balzer, said the measure specifically aims to ensure insurers cover 3-D mammography (tomosynthesis) and other follow-up tests so people are not forced to forego further testing because of cost. Ben Ebert, president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, described disparities in outcomes — saying mortality is about "40% higher in Black women" — and outlined Dana-Farber's outreach, including a mobile mammography program that has performed about "24,000 mammograms" since 2002. Ebert said roughly "10–12%" of mammograms show abnormalities requiring further study and that follow-up imaging can cost "hundreds of dollars out of pocket," a financial barrier the law aims to remove.
State and legislative leaders at the signing thanked advocacy groups and medical societies that testified in support of coverage for follow-up imaging. The governor also highlighted the state's investment in life-sciences research and the recently passed Mass Leads Act as supporting continued work on women's health.
The bill was signed at the event table after opening remarks and brief presentations by sponsors and advocates. Officials said MassHealth already covers the required items and that the new law will extend the coverage requirement across payers; the governor and sponsors framed the change as reducing financial barriers to timely diagnostic follow-up. The signing concludes the Legislature's action and begins the law's implementation by state agencies and insurers.
The ceremony closed with legislators and advocates gathered as the governor signed the bill into law; participants described the measure as an important step to make breast cancer detection more equitable and accessible throughout the Commonwealth.
