NEWS: Breast cancer screening bill, six other bills now law
June 06, 2018
Hagåtña – A new law expands health insurance coverage for breast cancer screening.
Acting Governor Ray Tenorio yesterday signed Bill 227 into Public Law 34-109.
“I want to thank Senator Louise Muña for her leadership in seeing this bill through to fruition,” acting Governor Ray Tenorio stated. “This new law can help save the lives of many; breast cancer can be treated successfully if detected early. I encourage all women and men on our island to take advantage of this new benefit.”
Sen. Muña noted that the law is about saving lives. During the public hearing held several months ago, cancer survivors came forward to testify, sharing their stories of survival and urging senators to pass the bill.
The breast cancer screening bill was signed into law just after our island celebrated cancer survivors and showed their love and support for cancer survivors and their families at the Annual Relay for Life.
The new public law requires every health insurance issued or renewed for local residents on or after Jan. 1, 2019 (with some exceptions) to provide coverage for screening by low-dose mammography for breast cancer as follows:
For women 35 to 39 years old, one baseline mammogram;
For women 40 or older, an annual mammogram;
For a woman of any age and for men beginning at age 40, who have a first-degree blood relative that was diagnosed to have developed breast cancer at 40 or younger, mammogram screening may be performed as recommended by the patient’s physician but not more than once annually.
Acting Governor Tenorio also signed six other bills into law:
Bill 159-34, PL 34-104 – Sen. Joe San Agustin: Raising the age required to send children to school from 16 years to 18 years old.
Bill 160-34, PL 34-105 – Sen. Joe San Agustin: Converting the school year from 180 instruction days to 900 instruction hours for elementary schools and 1,260 hours for middle & high schools.
Bill 169-34, PL 34-106 – Sen. Tom Ada: Establishing a real property tax emption for 100% disabled veterans and Gold Star spouses/parents.
Bill 203-34, PL 34-107 – Vice-Speaker Therese Terlaje: Establishing a DUI Treatment Court.
Bill 215-34, PL 34-108 – Sen. Tom Ada: Creating a Guam Ancestral Lands Commission survey, infrastructure, and development fund.
Bill 268-34, PL 34-109 – Sen. Regine Lee: Banning single-use carry out plastic bags.
