Missouri tries to ease access to breast cancer screenings

By SUMMER BALLENTINE
Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — People in Missouri won’t be charged for a second mammogram under a bill advancing in the legislature. The GOP-led House voted 126-29 on Thursday to send the measure to the Senate. Advocates say the bill should reduce medical costs by making sure cancer and other serious illnesses are identified early. But insurers don’t like the bill, and some lawmakers say it’s unfair to limit costs for breast cancer and not other cancers. Female lawmakers have noted that the opposition is mostly coming from their male colleagues.