An Assembly committee approved a bill requiring health insurers to increase coverage for ovarian cancer screenings during a Thursday hearing.
The bill requires state-regulated health insurers to cover ovarian cancer screenings for symptomatic or at-risk women, according to a release. Assemblywomen Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence), Tennille McCoy (D-Hamilton), and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Trenton) sponsored the bill in the lower chamber.
“Too often, women experiencing the early warning signs of ovarian cancer, such as bloating, abdominal pain and pressure, avoid seeking care for fear of incurring an expensive medical bill,” Matsikoudis said in a release. “This legislation ensures that cost is never an impediment to receiving critical early detection screenings, encouraging women to play it safe by contacting a medical professional right away.”
The Assembly Health Committee unanimously approved the bill. The legislation would require individual, group, and employer-sponsored policies, HMOs, and the State Health Benefits Plan to cover the screenings.
The release states that 700 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed every year in New Jersey, and 410 die of the disease in the state each year.
An identical bill in the state Senate has not been voted on.
