A bill that could change the way state employees access breast health care is one step closer to becoming law. On Thursday, April 22nd, House Bill 141—which would prohibit cost-sharing for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations under Florida’s State Group Insurance Program—cleared its final committee stop, the Health and Human Services Committee. The legislation now moves to the full House for consideration.
Sponsored by Representative Marie Paule Woodson (D-Hollywood), the bill is designed to remove financial obstacles that often prevent individuals from seeking follow-up breast screenings, such as MRIs, ultrasounds, and diagnostic mammograms. These tests are critical in determining whether further procedures, like biopsies, are needed.
“As a state, we need to ensure that our employees, our women and men, are diagnosed and provided with the proper support early so we can save lives,” said Rep. Woodson. “This legislation does not seek to create a new coverage mandate; it simply addresses the patient cost-sharing requirement as currently defined in Florida Statutes.”
Health equity advocates say removing out-of-pocket costs for these exams could lead to earlier cancer detection and treatment, potentially saving lives—especially in communities that often face barriers to care.
If passed, HB 141 would make it easier for thousands of state workers to access medically necessary breast screenings without worrying about the bill that might follow.
This is a Hy-Lo News Staff Report.
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