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.

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 5238 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 21, 2019 Ms. HOULAHAN (for herself, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. KILMER, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. MOULTON, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. COOK, Mr. PHILLIPS, and Ms. SLOTKIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 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 The 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 03:51 Dec 04, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5238.IH H5238 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 5238 IH (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 11 have been attributed to both improvements in treat- 12 ment and 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) Medicare and the Veterans Health Adminis- 23 tration cover digital breast tomosynthesis mammog- 24 raphy screenings. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Dec 04, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5238.IH H5238 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 5238 IH (8) The TRICARE program does not currently 1 cover digital breast tomosynthesis mammography 2 screenings. 3 SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENT TO BREAST CANCER SCREENING. 4 Section 1074d(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 5 is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 6 following: ‘‘, including through the use of digital breast 7 tomosynthesis’’. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:51 Dec 04, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5238.IH H5238 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS