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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3176 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1297
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
David Allen Robertson
_________________
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 screenings.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3176 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1297
By Representative Robertson of Tewksbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1297)
of David Allen Robertson relative to co-payments, deductibles, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
requirements for colon screenings. Financial Services.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1184 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to colon screenings.
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, as appearing in the 2016 Official
2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 17N the following section:-
3 Section 17O. (a) The commission shall provide to any active or retired employee of the
4commonwealth starting at 50 years of age who is insured under the group insurance commission
5coverage for colorectal cancer screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary
6care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy
7every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically
8necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every
9year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (vii) colonoscopy
10every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a 2 of 5
11colorectal cancer screening service procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the
12inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or
13both.
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 3. Chapter 175 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
22inserting after section 47II the following section:-
23 Section 47JJ. (a) Any policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section
24108, and any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section
25110 that is delivered, issued or renewed by agreement within or without the commonwealth shall
26provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically
27necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5
28years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF,
29PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as
30medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every
315 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term 3 of 5
32“colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the inside of
33a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or both.
34 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
35section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
36requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
37associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
38of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
39services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
40 SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
41inserting after section 8KK the following section:-
42 Section 8LL. (a) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an
43individual or group hospital service plan which is delivered, issued or renewed within the
44commonwealth shall provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer
45screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i)
46Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every
47year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA
48every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every
49year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the
50purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician
51to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of
52polyps or biopsy, or both. 4 of 5
53 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
54section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
55requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
56associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
57of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
58services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
59 SECTION 5. Chapter 176B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
60inserting after section 4KK the following section:-
61 Section 4LL. (a) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical
62service agreement delivered, issued or renewed within the commonwealth shall provide
63coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically
64necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5
65years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF,
66PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as
67medically necessary; (iv) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography
68every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the
69term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the
70inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or
71both.
72 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
73section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
74requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service 5 of 5
75associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
76of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
77services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
78 SECTION 6. Chapter 176G of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
79inserting after section 4CC the following section:-
80 Section 4DD. (a) An individual or group health maintenance contract that is issued or
81renewed shall provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as
82found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible
83sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year;
84(iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year
85or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT
86colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this
87section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine
88visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or
89biopsy, or both.
90 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
91section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
92requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
93associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
94of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
95services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.