States Push to End Cost Barriers for Supplemental Breast Imaging

Health insurance companies are required to cover screening mammograms at no cost under federal law. But for many women, a mammogram isn’t enough. Those with dense breast tissue or a genetic predisposition to breast cancer often need supplemental imaging like MRIs or ultrasounds, which insurers frequently don’t cover. Patients are left to pay out of pocket, often hundreds or even thousands of dollars, or forgo additional screening altogether.

That financial barrier has real consequences. A study in Radiology found that one in five women would skip recommended follow-up imaging if they had to pay a deductible. Research commissioned by Susan G. Komen found that diagnostic mammograms can cost $234, while breast MRIs can exceed $1,000. Given that breast cancer is far deadlier when caught at later stages, advocacy groups argue that financial obstacles to early detection must be removed.

In response, lawmakers in multiple states have introduced bills that would require commercial insurers to cover these additional tests without cost-sharing. So far in 2025, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Missouri, New York, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia have taken up the issue. Massachusetts passed similar legislation in November, joining a growing number of states that have closed this gap.

Advocacy groups like the American College of Radiology and Susan G. Komen are pushing for similar federal protections. Last year, Komen’s Center for Public Policy supported 41 bills across 34 states, 16 of which became law. Their top priority for 2025 remains securing state and federal policies that ensure access to early detection and treatment.

Lawmakers backing these efforts argue that preventing cancer from advancing to later stages is both a medical and financial necessity. Virginia Delegate Shelly Simonds noted that late-stage treatment is significantly more expensive than early intervention, saying, “We all know that the earlier cancer is detected, the better the prognosis — not to mention the huge cost savings of an early diagnosis versus a late-stage one.”

Federal legislation has been introduced to address the issue nationwide, but until it passes, state-level efforts remain critical in ensuring that cost is not a barrier to potentially life-saving breast cancer screenings.