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HB300 • 2026

Health; to require that coverage for breast cancer screening be provided without charging an insurance deductible or copayment to a beneficiary

Health; to require that coverage for breast cancer screening be provided without charging an insurance deductible or copayment to a beneficiary

Healthcare
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Holk-Jones
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
2027-01-01

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date is January 1, 2027, as stated in Section 2.

HB300: No Cost for Breast Cancer Screening

This law requires health benefit plans in Alabama that cover breast examinations to provide this coverage without charging a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires health benefit plans issued in the state that pay for supplemental or diagnostic breast examinations to remove cost-sharing charges like deductibles and copayments.
  • Prohibits insurers from asking patients to pay any expense borne by the insured for these specific exams.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Health benefit plans issued in Alabama that cover hospitalization, physician care, or other medical expenses.
  • Patients who receive supplemental or diagnostic breast examinations under these plans.
  • Insurance companies and health maintenance organizations selling coverage in the state.

Terms To Know

Cost-sharing requirement
A deductible, copayment, coinsurance, or similar expense paid by the insured for a covered benefit.
Diagnostic breast examination
A medically necessary exam used to evaluate an abnormality seen during screening or detected another way. It includes tests like contrast-enhanced mammography and ultrasound.
Supplemental breast examination
An extra screening test recommended by a doctor for people at higher risk of breast cancer, even if no problem was seen yet. This is based on factors like family history or dense tissue.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not apply to accident-only policies, dental-only plans, Medicare supplements, long-term care insurance, disability income, or other limited benefit health insurance.
  • It only applies if the plan already provides coverage for these types of breast exams.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

U9HZ6XD-1

R 449

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment requires health insurance plans in Alabama to cover specific breast cancer exams without charging the patient any deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance.

  • Health benefit plans must pay for diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations without requiring patients to share costs like deductibles or copays.
  • The law defines 'diagnostic' exams as tests used to check abnormalities found during screening or by other means.
  • The law defines 'supplemental' exams as extra screenings recommended by a doctor for people with higher risk factors, even if no abnormality was seen yet.
  • This rule only applies to health plans issued in Alabama that cover these specific types of breast examinations.
  • The law does not apply to limited benefit policies such as accident-only insurance, dental-only plans, or Medicare supplement policies.
4UK243R-1

R 450

Adopted

Plain English: This amendment updates specific sections of HB300 to use the phrase 'necessary and appropriate examination' when describing breast cancer screening coverage.

  • Replaces lines 21 through 22 on page 1 with the words 'necessary and appropriate examination of the'.
  • Replaces lines 54 through 55 on page 2 with the words 'necessary and appropriate examination of the'.
  • The amendment text only shows short phrases being replaced, so it is unclear what specific medical services or rules are defined by these changes without seeing the full original bill.
  • It is unknown if this change expands coverage to new types of exams or simply clarifies existing language.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 House

    Enacted

  2. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass - Adopted Roll Call 662 (Yeas 30, Nays 1)

  3. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Third Reading in Second House (Yeas 31, Nays 0)

  4. 2026-02-26 House

    Delivered to Governor

  5. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Signature Requested

  6. 2026-02-26 House

    Enrolled

  7. 2026-02-26 House

    Ready to Enroll

  8. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  9. 2026-02-25 Senate

    Reported Out of Committee Second House

  10. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Pending Committee Action in Second House

  11. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance

  12. 2026-02-17 House

    Add Cosponsor - Adopted Roll Call 452 (Yeas 86, Nays 0)

  13. 2026-02-17 House

    Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 451 (Yeas 99, Nays 0)

  14. 2026-02-17 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 450 (Yeas 101, Nays 0)

  15. 2026-02-17 House

    Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 449 (Yeas 102, Nays 0)

  16. 2026-02-17 House

    Third Reading in House of Origin (Yeas 101, Nays 0)

  17. 2026-02-17 House

    Engrossed

  18. 2026-02-17 House

    Holk-Jones 1st Amendment Offered

  19. 2026-02-17 House

    Insurance Engrossed Substitute Offered

  20. 2026-01-29 House

    Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

  21. 2026-01-28 House

    Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

  22. 2026-01-21 House

    Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

  23. 2026-01-21 House

    Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Insurance

Official Summary Text

This act requires health benefit plans issued in the state which cover supplemental or diagnostic breast examinations for the purpose of cancer screening or evaluation to provide this coverage without requiring payment of a deductible, coinsurance, or a copayment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB300 ENROLLED
Page 0
HB300
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By Representatives Holk-Jones, Fidler, Givens, Ross, DuBose,
Shaver, Hall, Givan, Hollis, Warren, Drummond, Clarke, Hulsey,
Wilcox, Collins, Morris, Moore (M), Lands, McClammy
RFD: Insurance
First Read: 21-Jan-26
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HB300 Enrolled
Page 1
First Read: 21-Jan-26
Enrolled, An Act,
Relating to health insurance; to require that health
benefit plans offered in this state which pay or reimburse for
breast examinations, including mammography, provide the
coverage without imposing a deductible, copayment, or
coinsurance charge on the beneficiary.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For purposes of this section, the
following terms have the following meanings:
(1) COST-SHARING REQUIREMENT. A deductible, copayment,
coinsurance, or similar expense borne by the insured for a
covered benefit under a health benefit plan.
(2) DIAGNOSTIC BREAST EXAMINATION. A medically
necessary and appropriate examination of the breast that
includes, but is not limited to, contrast-enhanced
mammography, diagnostic mammography, breast magnetic resonance
imaging, breast ultrasound, or molecular breast imaging that
is used to:
a. Evaluate an abnormality seen or suspected from a
screening examination for breast cancer; or
b. Evaluate an abnormality detected by another means of
examination.
(3) HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN. a. Any plan, policy, or
contract issued, delivered, or renewed in this state that
provides health coverage that includes payment for
hospitalization, physician care, treatment, surgery, therapy,
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HB300 Enrolled
Page 2
hospitalization, physician care, treatment, surgery, therapy,
drugs, equipment, and any other medical expense, regardless of
the following:
1. Whether the plan, policy, or contract is provided by
a health care insurer; health maintenance organization
established under Chapter 21A of Title 27, Code of Alabama
1975; health care services plan established under Chapter 20
of Title 10A, Code of Alabama 1975; a nonprofit agricultural
organization that provides health benefits to its members
under Chapter 33 of Title 2, Code of Alabama 1975; or any
other entity that pays for, purchases, or reimburses for
health care services.
2. Whether the plan is for a group or an individual.
b. The term does not include accident-only, specified
disease, individual hospital indemnity, credit, dental-only,
Medicare supplement, long-term care, disability income, or
other limited benefit health insurance policies, or coverage
issued as supplemental to liability insurance, workers'
compensation, or automobile medical payment insurance.
(4) SUPPLEMENTAL BREAST EXAMINATION. A medically
necessary and appropriate examination of the breast that
includes, but is not limited to, contrast-enhanced
mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging, breast
ultrasound, or molecular breast imaging that is used to screen
for breast cancer when there is no abnormality seen or
suspected, based on personal or family medical history or
additional factors that increase the risk of breast cancer,
including dense tissue, on the recommendation of a physician.
(b) A health benefit plan that pays for, purchases, or
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HB300 Enrolled
Page 3
(b) A health benefit plan that pays for, purchases, or
furnishes health care services to individuals who reside in
this state, and which provides coverage for a supplemental
breast examination or a diagnostic breast examination, may not
impose any cost-sharing requirement on an enrollee for a
supplemental breast examination or diagnostic breast
examination.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on January
1, 2027.
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HB300 Enrolled
Page 4
1, 2027.
________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Representatives
________________________________________________
President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
House of Representatives
I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
was passed by the House, as amended 17-Feb-26.
John Treadwell
Clerk
Senate 26-Feb-26 Passed
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