MAMMOGRAM: BREAST DENSITY NOTICE S.B. 879:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 879 (as introduced 3-19-14)
Sponsor: Senator Dave Hildenbrand
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to do the following:
-- Require a person who provided mammography services to give certain information to a patient whose mammogram demonstrated dense breast tissue.
-- Authorize the Department of Community Health (DCH) to update the definition of "dense breast tissue" by order, if necessary.
Under regulations established pursuant to Federal law, a facility that performs a mammogram must ensure that a written report of the results of a mammography examination, signed by the interpreting physician, is prepared. The report must be given to the patient's physicians, or, if such a physician is not available or if there is no such physician, directly to the patient. Additionally, a summary of the report in terms easily understood by a lay person must be sent directly to the patient.
Under the bill, if a patient's mammogram demonstrated dense breast tissue, in the summary sent directly to the patient, a person who provided mammography services in Michigan would have to give the patient notification that included the following information:
Your mammogram shows that your breast tissue is dense. Dense breast tissue is very common and is not abnormal. However, dense breast tissue can make it harder to find cancer through a mammogram. Also, dense breast tissue may increase your risk for breast cancer. This information about the result of your mammogram is given to you to raise your awareness. Use this information to talk to your physician about your own risk for breast cancer. At that time, ask your physician if more advanced screening tests might be useful, based on your risk. A report of your results was sent to your ordering physician. If you are self-referred, a report of your results was sent to you in addition to this summary.
The bill would define "dense breast tissue" as heterogeneously or extremely dense breast tissue as defined in nationally recognized guidelines or systems for breast imaging reporting of mammography screening, including the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) established by the American College of Radiology. After the bill's effective date, if new terms were defined in revised guidelines or systems for breast imaging reporting of mammography screening and the DCH determined that the new terms were more appropriate for the purposes of the information required to be provided by the bill, the DCH, by order, could update the definition of "dense breast tissue" to use those new terms. Upon issuance, the DCH would have to forward such an order to the Legislature.
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would result in very minor costs to the DCH to update information and forward the changes to the Legislature.
Fiscal Analyst: Steve Angelotti
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.