HB1366 requires certain Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover cervical smear or Pap tests and certain ovarian cancer surveillance tests. The bill defines surveillance tests to include annual CA-125 serum tumor marker testing, transvaginal ultrasound, or pelvic examination, and limits the ovarian-cancer coverage mandate to insureds or enrollees with a first-degree relative with ovarian cancer or a cluster of relatives with breast or nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or those who have tested positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.
The bill also bars copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles for the covered screenings, except that high-deductible health plans may still apply their deductible consistent with federal law. The coverage mandate applies to policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2026, and is added to the Insurance Article as a new Section 15-861.
Impact
HB1366 would amend Maryland insurance law by creating a new coverage requirement for cervical cancer screening and specified ovarian cancer surveillance tests. It would directly affect insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and HMOs that issue or deliver hospital, medical, or surgical coverage in the state, while also establishing a cost-sharing prohibition for most plans. The bill would expand preventive and diagnostic coverage for individuals at elevated hereditary risk for ovarian cancer, with a limited carve-out for high-deductible health plans.
Sentiment
The available record shows the bill was introduced and assigned to the House Health and Government Operations Committee, with no recorded votes or committee transcript excerpts provided. Based on the bill’s subject matter and sponsor list, the measure appears to have been presented as a public-health and women’s health insurance mandate, and there is no evidence in the provided materials of organized opposition or amendment debate. Overall sentiment in the available context is neutral to supportive, though the lack of hearing testimony limits certainty.
Contention
The main policy issue is the scope of required ovarian-cancer surveillance coverage and who qualifies for it. Supporters are likely to favor broader access to screening for people with hereditary risk factors, while insurers may be concerned about mandated benefits and the prohibition on cost sharing. A secondary point of contention is the interaction with high-deductible health plans, since the bill preserves deductible application for those plans under federal tax rules, which may limit the practical no-cost benefit for some enrollees.