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Oklahoma governor rejects measure requiring insurers to cover more breast cancer tests

Oklahoma governor rejects measure requiring insurers to cover more breast cancer tests

Yahoo08-05-2025
Gov. Kevin Stitt has vetoed a measure meant to expand Oklahomans' access to breast cancer screening, saying he doesn't want to raise insurance rates.
House Bill 1389 would require health care insurance providers to cover tests such as breast ultrasounds for people who are at higher risks of breast cancer, even if no abnormality is seen or suspected at the time. Contrast-enhanced mammograms and molecular breast imaging would also be covered in those cases and as part of diagnostic testing.
Lawmakers from both parties criticized Stitt's decision to veto the bill, which had widespread support and cleared the House floor 95-0. For many legislators, the measure carried a special significance. The bill's author, Rep. Melissa Provenzano, D-Tulsa, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her colleagues in the House wore pink in her honor on the day she introduced the measure.
Provenzano said in a statement that Stitt's veto left her "stunned and in disbelief." She noted women in Oklahoma are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than the U.S. norm.
More: Oklahoma governor vetoes MMIP bill, saying investigators shouldn't prioritize cases 'based on race'
The governor said in his May 6 veto message that while he was sympathetic to women battling breast cancer, he believed the legislation would raise costs for health insurance companies and "ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses."
He said insurance plans already cover mammograms, and that doctors can order more tests if needed.
Provenzano said many tests still aren't covered, which is why the legislation is needed. She pledged to "get to work" on moving the bill forward, which could still become law if legislators vote to override Stitt's veto.
In her statement, Provenzano said the measure was meant to build on a 2022 bill that required insurance providers to cover diagnostic mammograms. Stitt signed that measure into law.
Jennifer Monies, an adviser to House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, has not yet responded to questions about Hilbert's response to the veto and whether he plans to pursue an override.
As the bill made its way through the Legislature, more than 20 lawmakers, including several Republicans, signed on as co-authors. Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City, the bill's main backer in the Senate, said she was disappointed by the governor's veto.
'This legislation was vetoed due to the belief that the provision of this care could contribute to higher insurance premiums, although the reality is that the costs of providing preventative screenings are minuscule when compared to the costs to treat late-stage disease,' Stanley said.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Gov. Stitt vetoes bill expanding breast cancer test coverage
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