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Committee backs bill to expand prostate cancer screening coverage and eliminate out‑of‑pocket costs
Summary
Senate Bill 84 would require insurers to cover prostate cancer screening for men 40 and older in line with current clinical guidelines and prohibit patient cost‑sharing for screening services; the committee adopted technical amendments and reported the bill as amended after testimony from the American Cancer Society.
Senate Bill 84, presented to the House Insurance Committee on April 29, would require insurance coverage of prostate cancer screening for men beginning at age 40 according to current clinical guidelines and eliminate out‑of‑pocket costs for those screening services.
Sen. Myers told the committee the change reflects updated clinical guidance and that early detection greatly improves outcomes — when prostate cancer is localized, survival is nearly 100 percent, while advanced disease carries a much lower survival rate. The committee adopted an amendment set (4,464) clarifying that required coverage may not be subject to deductibles, coinsurance, copayments or similar patient cost‑sharing.
Alice Klein, Louisiana government relations director for the American Cancer Society, told the committee Louisiana has the state’s second‑highest prostate cancer incidence rate and that late‑stage diagnoses have been rising, citing an annual 5 percent increase in late‑stage cases over the last decade and research linking even small out‑of‑pocket costs to reduced screening uptake. Labor and plan representatives at the table also offered support in principle during the discussion.
The committee adopted the technical and cost‑sharing amendments by voice vote and reported SB84 as amended. The committee also indicated staff would circulate a co‑author sheet for the bill.
