SENATE HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND SENIOR CITIZENS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION No. 114

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 19, 2025

      The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee reports favorably Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 114.

      This resolution urges Congress to enact the “Find It Early Act” to ensure women who are at greater risk for breast cancer have access to breast cancer screenings without cost-sharing.

      Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in New Jersey.  Screenings for breast cancer aim to reduce the mortality and morbidity of breast cancer by detecting cancer in its early stage.  Early detection of breast cancer is critical.  The five-year survival rate is 99 percent when breast cancer is diagnosed before it has spread outside of the breast compared to approximately 30 percent when found at a later stage.

      Approximately half of women over age 40 have dense breast tissue, which can obscure imaging performed by mammograms and delay the detection of breast cancer.  To ensure that the cancer is not missed by mammograms, individuals with dense breasts or other risk factors may seek additional screenings, including breast ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which may be better able to detect cancer.  Such services, however, may not be covered by insurance, leaving women to choose between paying exorbitant out of pocket costs or forgoing the screenings.

      Recognizing that the high costs of additional breast cancer screenings may result in delayed diagnoses, Congress introduced H.R.3086, known as the “Find It Early Act,” which would ensure all health insurance plans cover breast cancer screenings and diagnostic imaging, including breast ultrasounds and MRIs, for women at increased risk of breast cancer at no additional cost to the insured.  The Legislature of New Jersey urges Congress to enact the “Find It Early Act” to improve the affordability of and increase access to screenings needed to detect breast cancer early to improve the survival rates of individuals with breast cancer.