HB 297 North Carolina House · 2025-2026 Session

Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity.

HB 297, titled "Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity," aims to ensure equal health insurance coverage for different types of breast cancer imaging. The bill mandates that health benefit plans apply the same cost-sharing requirements (like deductibles and copayments) for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations, such as MRIs and ultrasounds, as they do for routine screening mammograms. This ensures individuals needing these additional medically necessary tests do not face higher out-of-pocket costs compared to standard screenings. It also maintains existing coverage for cervical cancer screenings and includes provisions for high-deductible health plans.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 5, 2025 Last action May 7, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Edition 1 → Edition 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision reorganizes the document structure and adds new coverage requirements for breast ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The changes expand the types of breast cancer screening services that must receive cost parity with low-dose mammography under health insurance plans.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes breast ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging as services that must meet the same cost-sharing requirements as low-dose mammography for patients who qualify for supplemental examinations.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements that insurers must not charge higher reimbursement rates to out-of-network providers for breast ultrasound and breast magnetic resonance imaging compared to in-network providers.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of supplemental examination for breast cancer to clarify that it applies when no abnormality is seen or suspected, whereas the previous version did not include this clarification.

TECHNICAL

Removed primary sponsor names and committee referral information from the header section, likely for formatting purposes in the committee substitute version.

Reorganized the numbering and structure of definitions and provisions, shifting from a sequential list to a more structured format with subsections.

Floor votes · House May 7, 2025

How they voted

112–1

Passed · 8 other

Total votes 121

May 7, 2025

D Democratic46

41 Yea 5

89% Yea

I Independent2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican73

69 Yea 1 Nay 3

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 7, 2025

Committee

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate

upper

May 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed 3rd Reading

lower

Apr 15, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav Com Substitute

lower

Mar 18, 2025

Committee

Re-ref Com On Insurance

lower

Mar 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reptd Fav

lower

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Ref to the Com on Health, if favorable, Insurance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

lower

Mar 5, 2025

Introduced

Filed

lower

3 primary · 34 co-sponsors