Sponsor urges insurers to discuss PET-scan coverage after family cancer experience
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Summary
Senator Williamson Williams presented SB509 (LC 521015) to require expanded post-mastectomy imaging (including PET scans) and said he expects insurers at the table; members questioned Medicaid inclusion, medical-necessity language and comparative state action.
Senator Williamson Williams introduced SB509 (LC 521015), a bill prompted by his family’s experience with breast cancer that would require health benefit policies to cover annual chest imaging tests and additional medically necessary chest imaging (including PET scans) to monitor for recurrence after mastectomy.
Williams spoke from personal experience, recounting his wife’s diagnosis, surgery and follow-up: "All I'm asking is to let's get the insurance companies to the table and talk about this," he said, urging engagement despite the higher cost of PET imaging. He and committee members discussed the diagnostic value of PET versus CT scans and the practical obstacles patients face when access is limited.
Senator Kirkpatrick asked whether Medicaid is included; Williams said the bill intends to cover Medicaid programs to the extent state contracts fall under the statute but noted federal plans outside state jurisdiction cannot be changed here. Senator Harberson and Williams discussed how Certificate of Need (CON) rules had affected the location of PET scanners and argued increased availability could reduce per-scan costs over time.
Committee members questioned who determines "medically necessary" imaging—physicians or insurers—and whether the bill needs clarified language. Williams said he wants to move the bill forward while collaborating with stakeholders and staff to refine definitions and fiscal implications.
No committee vote on SB509 was recorded during the hearing; the sponsor requested working sessions with staff and insurers to address scope and implementation details before further action.