BRST Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 2944 To amend title 10, United States Code, to include digital breast tomosynthesis as a primary and preventative health care service under the military health system and the TRICARE program. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES NOVEMBER 21, 2019 Ms. MCSALLY (for herself, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. HARRIS, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. WARREN, Mrs. CAPITO, Ms. COL- LINS, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and Mrs. HYDE-SMITH) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Serv- ices A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to include digital breast tomosynthesis as a primary and preventative health care service under the military health system and the TRICARE program. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Better and Robust 4 Screening Today Act’’ or the ‘‘BRST Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Nov 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2944.IS S2944 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 2944 IS (1) A woman born today has a one in eight 1 chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer at 2 some time during her life. 3 (2) Breast cancer is the most commonly diag- 4 nosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer 5 death among women. 6 (3) Death rates from breast cancer in the 7 United States have dropped 40 percent between 8 1989 and 2017 which translates to 375,900 deaths 9 avoided during those 28 years. 10 (4) The decline in breast cancer death rates has 11 been attributed to improvements in treatment and 12 early detection and screening. 13 (5) When breast cancer is detected in an early 14 and localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 99 15 percent, further demonstrating why proper screening 16 is essential. 17 (6) Conventional mammography and digital 18 mammography are known to be less effective in the 19 breast cancer screening process for all women, in- 20 cluding those with dense breast tissue, than digital 21 breast tomosynthesis screening. 22 (7) The Medicare program under title XVIII of 23 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Nov 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2944.IS S2944 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 2944 IS the Veterans Health Administration cover digital 1 breast tomosynthesis mammography screenings. 2 (8) The TRICARE program (as defined in sec- 3 tion 1072(7) of title 10, United States Code) does 4 not currently cover digital breast tomosynthesis 5 mammography screenings. 6 SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT TO BREAST CANCER SCREENING 7 UNDER THE TRICARE PROGRAM. 8 Section 1074d(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 9 is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 10 following: ‘‘, including through the use of digital breast 11 tomosynthesis’’. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 Nov 30, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S2944.IS S2944 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS