Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation this week that requires insurance plans throughout the state to cover 3D mammography. Rauner signed Senate Bill 466 at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois.
“Too many Illinois families have been touched, in one way or another, by breast cancer,” Rauner said in a prepared statement. “I’m proud to sign this legislation because by improving early detection methods and requiring insurance plans to cover this cutting-edge screening tool, Illinois is at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer.”
According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), among women in Illinois, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer. In 2013, the data shows, more than 9,800 women from the state were diagnosed with breast cancer.
"Early detection of breast cancer is key to survival and this new law offers women more options for detecting breast cancer," Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, IDPH director, said in the same statement. "We encourage women to talk with their health care provider about 3D mammography to determine what would be best for them."
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.