II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1936 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to protect coverage for 

screening mammography, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. CAPITO, Mrs. SHAHEEN, 

Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. PORTMAN, 

Ms. WARREN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Ms. STABENOW) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to protect 

coverage for screening mammography, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Access to 

5 Lifesaving Screenings Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘PALS Act’’. 


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•S 1936 IS

1 SEC. 2. PROTECTING COVERAGE FOR SCREENING MAM2 MOGRAPHY. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Effective during the period begin4 ning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending 

5 January 1, 2025, any provision of law that refers (includ6 ing through cross-reference to another provision of law) 

7 to the current recommendations of the United States Pre8 ventive Services Task Force with respect to breast cancer 

9 screening mammography shall be administered as if— 

10 (1) such reference to such current recommenda11 tions were a reference to the recommendations of 

12 such Task Force with respect to breast cancer 

13 screening mammography last issued before 2009; 

14 and 

15 (2) such recommendations last issued before 

16 2009 applied to any screening mammography modal17 ity under section 1861(jj) of the Social Security Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 1395x(jj)). 

19 (b) CONTINUING MEDICARE COVERAGE WITHOUT

20 COINSURANCE.—Section 1833(a)(1)(Y) of the Social Se21 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(Y)) is amended by in22 serting after ‘‘in the case of such services described in sub23 paragraph (A)’’ the following: ‘‘(other than screening 

24 mammography)’’. 

25 (c) MAINTAINING FREQUENCY OF MEDICARE COV26 ERAGE.—Section 1834(c)(2)(B)(ii) of the Social Security 


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•S 1936 IS

1 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m(c)(2)(B)(ii)) is amended by insert2 ing before the period at the end the following: ‘‘, except 

3 that in the case of a woman over 39 years of age, such 

4 revision may not decrease such frequency’’. 

5 (d) CLARIFYING THE DEFINITION OF SCREENING

6 MAMMOGRAPHY.—Section 1861(jj) of the Social Security 

7 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(jj)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, in8 cluding any digital modality (such as screening breast 

9 tomosynthesis) of such a procedure,’’ after ‘‘radiologic 

10 procedure’’. 

11 (e) APPLICATION TO SERVICES FURNISHED

12 THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.—Sec13 tion 7322(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended 

14 to read as follows: 

15 ‘‘(b) The policy developed under subsection (a), and 

16 any other policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

17 relating to mammography screening, shall— 

18 ‘‘(1) specify standards of mammography screen19 ing that ensure that the frequency of such 

20 screenings is not less than the frequency of such 

21 screenings provided pursuant to section 2(a) of the 

22 Protecting Access to Lifesaving Screenings Act of 

23 2019; 

24 ‘‘(2) provide recommendations, consistent with 

25 paragraph (1), with respect to screening, and the 


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•S 1936 IS

1 frequency of screening, for veterans, without regard 

2 to age, who have clinical symptoms, risk factors, or 

3 family history of breast cancer; and 

4 ‘‘(3) provide for clinician discretion in indi5 vidual cases.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS