BREAST CANCER: Bill To Require Health Insurance Coverage Passes State Senate

      The California Senate approved a measure Monday that would require health insurers to provide "coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer," the Sacramento Bee reports (8/18). The bill, AB 34, proposed by state Assemblyman Howard Wayne (D-San Diego), would replace the current state statute mandating the coverage of prosthetic devices or reconstructive surgery following mastectomy in some circumstances. In addition to requiring "coverage for screening for, diagnosis of, and treatment for, breast cancer," the bill would prohibit "denial of enrollment or coverage on the basis of age, prior asymptomatic history, or genetic characteristics" (AB 34 text, 7/28). The bill now goes to the state Assembly for a vote. The legislation "would apply to policies that are issued or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 1999" (8/18).