AUSTIN – On May 28, Texas House Bill 1036 was passed in the Texas Senate on May 28 with very strong support.
The bill now heads to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for signature before becoming law. Because the bill passed with a two-thirds majority vote, HB 1036 will go into effect immediately upon Gov. Abbott’s signing.
HB 1036 requires all commercial insurance providers in Texas to cover 3-D mammography, also known as digital breast tomosynthesis, for breast cancer screening and diagnosis at no additional cost to the patient – just as insurers currently cover traditional 2-D mammography screenings.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 1 by Texas Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston).
Solis Mammography’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Stephen Rose, testified in front of the Business and Commerce Committee of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives Insurance Committee.
“We applaud the 85th Texas Legislature, especially Rep. Thompson, for taking a stand on women’s breast health and passing HB 1036,” said James Polfreman, president and CEO of Solis Mammography. “This is a great day for the women of Texas as they now have the peace of mind that their 3-D mammograms, the most advanced form of screening available, will be covered by insurance with no additional out-of-pocket expense.”
When signed into law, Texas will become the sixth state to have similar legislation in place for insurers to treat all screening mammography (2-D and 3-D) the same – at no extra cost to patients.