Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1297 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3176 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1297
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David Allen Robertson
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to colon screenings.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3176 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1297
18	18	By Representative Robertson of Tewksbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1297)
19	19	of David Allen Robertson relative to co-payments, deductibles, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
20	20	requirements for colon screenings. Financial Services.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1184 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to colon screenings.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 32A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official
32	32	2Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 17N the following section:-
33	33	3 Section 17O. (a) The commission shall provide to any active or retired employee of the
34	34	4commonwealth starting at 50 years of age who is insured under the group insurance commission
35	35	5coverage for colorectal cancer screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary
36	36	6care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy
37	37	7every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically
38	38	8necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every
39	39	9year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (vii) colonoscopy
40	40	10every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a 2 of 5
41	41	11colorectal cancer screening service procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the
42	42	12inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or
43	43	13both.
44	44	14 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under
45	45	15contract with the commission shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or
46	46	16other cost-sharing requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional
47	47	17charge for any service associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which
48	48	18may include 1 or more of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory
49	49	19services; (iii) physician services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a
50	50	20hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
51	51	21 SECTION 3. Chapter 175 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
52	52	22inserting after section 47II the following section:-
53	53	23 Section 47JJ. (a) Any policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section
54	54	24108, and any group blanket policy of accident and sickness insurance issued pursuant to section
55	55	25110 that is delivered, issued or renewed by agreement within or without the commonwealth shall
56	56	26provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically
57	57	27necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5
58	58	28years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF,
59	59	29PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as
60	60	30medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography every
61	61	315 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the term 3 of 5
62	62	32“colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the inside of
63	63	33a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or both.
64	64	34 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
65	65	35section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
66	66	36requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
67	67	37associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
68	68	38of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
69	69	39services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
70	70	40 SECTION 4. Chapter 176A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
71	71	41inserting after section 8KK the following section:-
72	72	42 Section 8LL. (a) Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an
73	73	43individual or group hospital service plan which is delivered, issued or renewed within the
74	74	44commonwealth shall provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer
75	75	45screening as found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i)
76	76	46Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every
77	77	47year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA
78	78	48every year or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every
79	79	49year; (vii) CT colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the
80	80	50purposes of this section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician
81	81	51to examine visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of
82	82	52polyps or biopsy, or both. 4 of 5
83	83	53 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
84	84	54section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
85	85	55requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
86	86	56associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
87	87	57of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
88	88	58services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
89	89	59 SECTION 5. Chapter 176B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
90	90	60inserting after section 4KK the following section:-
91	91	61 Section 4LL. (a) Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical
92	92	62service agreement delivered, issued or renewed within the commonwealth shall provide
93	93	63coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as found medically
94	94	64necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5
95	95	65years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year; (iii) KRAS, BRAF,
96	96	66PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year or every 3 years, as
97	97	67medically necessary; (iv) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT colonography
98	98	68every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this section the
99	99	69term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine visually the
100	100	70inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or biopsy, or
101	101	71both.
102	102	72 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
103	103	73section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
104	104	74requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service 5 of 5
105	105	75associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
106	106	76of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
107	107	77services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.
108	108	78 SECTION 6. Chapter 176G of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
109	109	79inserting after section 4CC the following section:-
110	110	80 Section 4DD. (a) An individual or group health maintenance contract that is issued or
111	111	81renewed shall provide coverage, starting at 50 years of age, for colorectal cancer screening as
112	112	82found medically necessary by the insured’s primary care physician, including: (i) Flexible
113	113	83sigmoidoscopy every 5 years; (ii) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 10 years plus FIT every year;
114	114	84(iii) KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA Array as frequent as medically necessary; (iv) FIT-DNA every year
115	115	85or every 3 years, as medically necessary; (v) FIT every year; (vi) HSgFOBT every year; (vii) CT
116	116	86colonography every 5 years; and (viii) colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. For the purposes of this
117	117	87section the term “colonoscopy”, shall mean a procedure that enables a physician to examine
118	118	88visually the inside of a patient's entire colon and includes the concurrent removal of polyps or
119	119	89biopsy, or both.
120	120	90 (b) Colorectal cancer screening services pursuant to subsection (a) performed under this
121	121	91section shall not be subject to any co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or other cost-sharing
122	122	92requirement. In addition, an insured shall not be subject to any additional charge for any service
123	123	93associated with a procedure or test for colorectal cancer screening, which may include 1 or more
124	124	94of the following: (i) removal of tissue or other matter; (ii) laboratory services; (iii) physician
125	125	95services; (iv) facility use, regardless of whether such facility is a hospital; and (v) anesthesia.