Bill seeks to improve coverage for prostate cancer screenings

Health insurance companies may be required to update their coverage related to prostate cancer screenings under a bill that unanimously passed a key House of Delegates committee Thursday.

“Virginia has the highest prostate cancer…rate and the second highest mortality rate for Black men in the nation,” Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, said during a subcommittee hearing on Tuesday. 

Austin, the chief patron of the bill, HB 2097, said it seeks to remove out-of-pocket prostate cancer screening costs for high-risk men. Black men are 1.6 times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2.1 times more likely to die from prostate cancer, according to Zero Prostate Cancer. 

The bill aims to amend “existing mandated coverage requirements for prostate cancer screenings to reflect updated tests and guidelines from the American Cancer Society.”  The bill passed 21-0 in the Labor and Commerce Committee and now heads to the full house for a vote. 

The extended coverage would apply to health care coverage companies, healthcare coverage for state employees and the state plan for medical assistance services. 

Ali Manson, the vice president of government, relations and advocacy for Zero Prostate Cancer, testified Tuesday that prostate cancer screening is a crucial step in the diagnostic process and that Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer.

“Any amount of cost-sharing can be a barrier to screening, especially for marginalized communities. HB 2097 will make it that much easier for men at high risk, like Black men, to receive screenings that can save their lives.” Manson wrote in an email.

Other organizations such as the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Schellhammer Urological Research Foundation also spoke in support of the bill. 

HB2097 comes after a recommendation from the Health Insurance Reform Commission, which was formed after HB2138 in the 2013 assembly, and aimed to increase access to healthcare services and coverage. 

Casey O’Neill, the senior regional media advocacy manager for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said early diagnostic treatment can affect the likelihood of beating the disease. 

“Nearly 100% of people diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive the disease for five years or longer if it’s caught early, but that likelihood drops to 34% when it’s caught in an advanced stage,” O’Neill said. 

O’Neill attributes the disparity in prostate cancer between Black men and white men to not only medical distrust, but financial barriers. 

“Research has shown both if there’s a cost sharing element and if people had a current medical debt from previous attempts to get screened, then they will be discouraged from following through with the screening process,” O’Neill said. “This legislation is really just meant to encourage people to get screened […] and really empower them to access a critical resource in cancer profession and detection.”