To enact sections 3902.65 and 5164.081 of the Revised Code to require insurance and Medicaid coverage of colorectal cancer screenings for individuals age 21 and older.
HB922 would require Ohio health benefit plans and the Medicaid program to cover colorectal cancer screening tests for individuals age 21 and older. For private insurance, the bill directs plans to provide coverage for these screenings to the same extent that federal law currently requires coverage for individuals age 45 and older under the Affordable Care Act, and it also bars cost-sharing above the level that applies to those screenings for the older age group. For Medicaid, the bill similarly requires coverage for eligible individuals age 21 and older on the same terms tied to the federal preventive-services standard.
The bill is structured as new sections of the Revised Code, creating a statewide coverage mandate for both commercial insurance and Medicaid. It would apply to health benefit plans issued, delivered, modified, or renewed on or after the effective date, meaning the insurance requirement would reach new and renewing policies rather than only future products. In practical terms, the measure would expand access to early colorectal cancer screening and could affect insurers, Medicaid administrators, providers, and patients who are younger than the current federal benchmark age.
HB922 would add two new statutory provisions, sections 3902.65 and 5164.081 of the Revised Code, expanding mandated coverage for colorectal cancer screening in Ohio. It would require insurers subject to Ohio law to cover these screenings for covered individuals age 21 and older and prohibit greater cost-sharing than is allowed for the comparable federal preventive-service coverage for age 45 and older. It would also require the Medicaid program to cover the same screenings for enrollees age 21 and older. The bill would therefore increase coverage obligations for health plans and Medicaid while potentially reducing out-of-pocket costs for younger patients who need screening.
The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to the House Insurance Committee, but there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided. Based on the bill’s purpose, the measure appears to be framed as a preventive-health expansion aimed at earlier detection of colorectal cancer, which generally suggests a favorable public-health rationale. However, because no discussion or vote history is available, there is no documented legislative sentiment beyond the bill’s introduction.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials because there are no committee transcripts or votes. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill text, could include the cost of expanding mandated coverage, the age threshold of 21 compared with current federal screening standards, and the impact on insurers and Medicaid spending. Any such concerns are not attributed to any particular legislator or stakeholder in the available record.