Bob Godfrey

I am very happy to announce that a law I championed with Representative Janice Giegler and led to passage this year requiring health insurance coverage for mammograms provided by breast tomosynthesis will become effective on New Year’s Day.

Public Act No. 16-82, An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage for Tomosynthesis for Breast Cancer Screenings, will benefit the thousands of women across Connecticut who deserve quality diagnostics and reliable and accessible health care.

Tomosynthesis, or three-dimensional mammography, saves lives by providing doctors with better and more accurate images to diagnose breast cancers. Indeed, the new technology is so much improved over two-dimensional images that it nearly eliminates false positives and the need for additional imaging.

The legislation requires health insurance coverage for mammograms provided by breast tomosynthesis, but does not require a medical provider to use tomosynthesis. Since 1988 Connecticut insurance statutes have required coverage of mammography.

Tomosynthesis is simply a new technology in the existing mandate for mammography. Danbury-based Hologic has taken the lead on researching, developing and manufacturing this vital, life-saving medical equipment. So the passage of this bill also recognizes the importance of the 350 hi-tech bioscience jobs at Hologic.