Kansas Senate Bill SB219

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

Imposing certain health insurance coverage requirements for screening and diagnostic examinations for breast cancer.

Summary

SB 219 would require most Kansas health insurance policies, medical service plans, hospital and medical service corporation contracts, fraternal benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations that cover accident and health services to eliminate cost-sharing for diagnostic breast examinations and supplemental breast examinations beginning with policies delivered, issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. The bill defines these services to include diagnostic mammography, breast MRI, and breast ultrasound when used to evaluate an abnormality found on screening or by other means, and it also covers supplemental imaging used to screen for breast cancer when there is no abnormality but the patient has elevated risk based on personal or family history or other factors. The bill amends Kansas insurance statutes to incorporate this new coverage mandate into the state’s general insurance requirements and into the rules governing nonprofit medical and hospital service corporations. It also specifies that existing statutory provisions related to certain cost-sharing or benefit coordination rules do not apply to this new breast imaging coverage requirement. In practical terms, the measure would shift the cost of these diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging services from patients to insurers for covered plans subject to Kansas law. The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text and caption is supportive of expanding access to breast cancer-related imaging by removing out-of-pocket costs that can delay diagnosis or screening. No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded debate, amendment discussion, or vote count to indicate broader legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s pro-coverage design. Because there are no transcripts or votes, there is also no documented point of contention in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, if raised in future consideration, would likely involve insurer cost impacts, premium effects, the scope of covered imaging, and how medical necessity or elevated-risk criteria are determined, but those issues are not shown in the supplied record.

Impact

SB 219 would amend Kansas insurance law by adding a new coverage mandate for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations and by tying that mandate into existing statutory provisions governing health insurance and nonprofit medical and hospital service corporations. The bill would require affected plans to cover specified breast imaging services without deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or similar cost-sharing, and it would apply to policies delivered, issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. It would also repeal and replace the cited statutory sections to integrate the new requirement into the Kansas Insurance Code.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally favorable toward patient access and breast cancer detection, with its structure aimed at reducing financial barriers to medically necessary and risk-based breast imaging. No committee discussion or voting record was provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of organized opposition or support beyond the bill’s clear consumer-protection orientation.

Contention

No specific contention is documented in the provided transcripts or votes. If the bill were debated, likely points of contention could include the cost to insurers and potential premium impacts, the breadth of the definitions for supplemental screening, and how insurers would verify medical necessity or elevated risk. However, none of those issues are reflected in the materials supplied here.