SALEM, Oregon -- Oregon will be the first state in the nation to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for supplemental cervical cancer screenings for residents on state-regulated insurance plans following House passage of Senate Bill 1527 on Tuesday. The vote followed unanimous approval in the Senate and awaits only Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature to become law.
“This legislation will clear the way for patients to get the procedures they need to identify and treat cancer as quickly as possible,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Oregon Government Relations Director Jane Leo said. “We are grateful that lawmakers took the time to listen and learn the impact they could have to reduce the cancer burden for Oregonians during this session. We look forward to other states following their lead.”
For the roughly 5 percent of cervical screenings with abnormal results, a follow-up procedure is necessary to determine the presence of pre-cancer or cancer cells. Patients are covered fully for the initial screen, but out-of-pocket cost for the additional procedures lead some to go without, resulting in a higher risk of being diagnosed with late-stage cancer. The cost of a follow-up procedure, on average, is $700 to more than $1,000, even for commercially insured patients. The legislation does not eliminate out-of-pocket costs for treatment, only diagnostic testing, but presents a significant opportunity to assure income level does not dictate a patient’s ability to detect cancer early.