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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1725 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 927
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James Arciero
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to colon cancer screening.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James Arciero2nd Middlesex1/17/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/30/2023Ryan Morell1/17/2023 1 of 6
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1725 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 927
By Representative Arciero of Westford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 927) of
James Arciero, Vanna Howard and Ryan Morell relative to colon cancer screening. Financial
Services.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4145 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act relative to colon cancer screening.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 32A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
2following section:-
3 Section 31. (a) The commission shall provide to any active or retired employee of the
4commonwealth who is insured under the group insurance commission coverage, starting at 30
5years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s
6primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible
7sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as
8frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as medically
9necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years;
10and (vii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term 2 of 6
11“colonoscopy”, shall mean a colorectal cancer screening service procedure that enables a
12physician to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent
13removal of polyps or biopsy, or both.
14 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under
15contract with the commission shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or
16other cost-sharing requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional
17charge for any service associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which
18may include 1 or more of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory
19services; (iii) physician services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a
20hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
21 SECTION 2. Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
22following section:-
23 Section 80. The division and it’s contracted health insurers, health plans, health
24maintenance organizations, behavioral health management firms and third-party administrators
25under contract to a Medicaid managed care organization or primary care plan shall provide
26coverage, starting at age 30, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically necessary by the
27insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii)
28Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array
29as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as medically
30necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years;
31and (vii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term
32“colonoscopy”, shall mean a colorectal cancer screening service procedure that enables a 3 of 6
33physician to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent
34removal of polyps or biopsy, or both.
35 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
36section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
37requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
38associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
39of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
40services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
41 SECTION 3. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
42section 47NN the following section:-
43 Section 47OO. (a) Any policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to
44section 108, and any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to
45section 110 that is delivered, issued or renewed by agreement within or without the
46commonwealth shall provide coverage, starting at 30 years of age, for colorectal cancer
47screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i)
48Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every
49year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA
50every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every
51year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the
52purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician
53to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of
54polyps or biopsy, or both. 4 of 6
55 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
56section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
57requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
58associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
59of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
60services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
61 SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
62section 8OO the following section:-
63 Section 8PP. (a) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an
64individual or group hospital service plan which is delivered, issued or renewed within the
65commonwealth shall provide coverage, starting at 30 years of age, for colorectal cancer
66screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i)
67Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every
68year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA
69every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every
70year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the
71purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician
72to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of
73polyps or biopsy, or both.
74 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
75section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
76requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service 5 of 6
77associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
78of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
79services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
80 SECTION 5. Chapter 176B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
81section 4OO the following section:-
82 Section 4PP. (a) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical
83service agreement delivered, issued or renewed within the commonwealth shall provide
84coverage, starting at 30 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically
85necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5
86years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF,
87PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as
88medically necessary; (iv) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography
89every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the
90term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the
91inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or
92both.
93 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
94section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
95requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
96associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
97of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
98services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia. 6 of 6
99 SECTION 6. Chapter 176G of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
100section 4GG the following section:-
101 Section 4HH. (a) An individual or group health maintenance contract that is issued or
102renewed shall provide coverage, starting at 30 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as
103found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible
104sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year;
105(iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year
106or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT
107colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this
108section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine
109visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or
110biopsy, or both.
111 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
112section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
113requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
114associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
115of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
116services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.