RICHMOND, Va. — Despite many debates in the General Assembly, Virginia lawmakers agree on one thing: fighting cancer. They are working on laws to help with breast and prostate cancers, which are the most common in the state.
This week, two important bills will be reviewed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The first bill, proposed by Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News), aims to remove out-of-pocket costs for important breast exams like MRIs and mammograms.
Simonds was inspired by her mother’s battle and recovery from breast cancer.
“The problem is many times women show up at the doctor’s office for these secondary screens and are asked to provide an upfront payment of $300, $500, even $1,000 and we know that is a huge barrier to care," she said about the high costs of secondary screenings. "There are many women out there who can't afford a surprise payment of $500 at the doctor's office and those women were foregoing care, and in the end, increasing costs to the whole healthcare system."
During committee meetings, supporters mentioned a study by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network that estimated 1.1 million women in the U.S. delayed screenings because they cost too much.
"I have personally felt the impact of the financial burden of having a high risk of breast cancer, and I have seen patients who have put off care far longer than they would have," Shawna Keen said.
WATCH: Virginia bills lowering some cancer care costs now await Youngkin's signature
The bill faced opposition from the Virginia Association of Health Plans.
“Wealthy people can afford their cost share, they will not be paying their cost share. Guess where all those cost shares go? They go to premium, which means you’re increasing the price on everyone," Executive Director Doug Gray argued.
However, Simonds replied, saying that it’s cheaper in the long run.
“It is so much less expensive to treat stage one breast cancer than it is to treat stage four full-blown cancer," she said.
The second bill, sponsored by Del. Terry Austin (R-Botetourt), a bladder cancer survivor, aims to remove out-of-pocket costs for prostate cancer screenings for men over 50 and those over 45 who are high-risk as defined by the American Cancer Society (which says that is someone who is "African American or have a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age 65").
Austin pointed out that Virginia has the highest prostate cancer rate in the country, with Black men being twice as likely to die from it.
“I think it really brings a lot of value to preventive maintenance for people,” he said. “And prostate is a very curable disease, but people have to have access to health care.”
This bill also gained support from industry advocates, like Vice President of Zero Prostate Cancer Ali Manson, who stressed the importance of early screenings.
"We know the early and appropriate screening is absolutely critical to ensuring that more people are in the lucky group."
Both the House and Senate have passed their versions of these bills, clearing all legislative steps.
The final step is Youngkin’s approval. A spokesperson for the Governor said that he will review any legislation that reaches his desk.
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