In a move to enhance health-care detection services and outcomes, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed two health bills on Wednesday, with overwhelming bipartisan support, to tackle preventative and early detection testing.
House Bill 297, Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity, and House Bill 567, Ensure Access to Biomarker Testing both passed in 110-2 votes. The bills ensure access to biomarker testing and aim to improve early detection and personalized treatment for breast cancer and other serious diseases.
The breast cancer prevention bill would require every health insurance plan provided to North Carolinians cover diagnostic, screening, and supplemental examinations for breast cancer.
“This is probably going to shock you, men. I’m a breast cancer survivor,” said Rep. Howard Penny, R-Harnett. “In April of 21, sitting here on the floor, I scheduled on a Thursday went and had my right breast removed because I was diagnosed with breast cancer… By Monday, I was sitting here with a port in my side back here on the House floor.”
Penny said that twice a year, he goes to get a mammogram, adding that men should also get checked if they have any cause for concern.
Just two representatives voted against the bill, including state Rep. Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry, who warned of potentially higher health costs that could come with the measure. However, proponents argued the cost is justified.
“This is a preventative measure that is very much needed, and I don’t think we should be protecting the insurance companies,” said state Rep. Julia Greenfield, D-Mecklenburg. “Preventative measures decrease health-care costs.”
“I would say that considering the immense health benefits patients get from knowing that they are cancer-free or that they are treated early enough for it to save their lives, that it’s worth that amount of money,” said state Rep. Mary Belk, D-Mecklenburg.
House Bill 567 mandates insurance coverage for biomarker testing, a precision medicine tool critical for diagnosing and treating diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. By analyzing disease-specific cellular markers, biomarker testing enables targeted therapies that improve survivorship, enhance quality of life, and reduce health-care costs.
“This bill has insurance companies include biomarker testing in their coverage, and I ask for your support for better health outcomes and treatments for all North Carolinians,” said state Rep. Diane Wheatley, R-Cumberland.
According to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, about 21 states have some sort of laws in place to provide biomarker testing coverage.
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