State employee health plans to include skin cancer screening coverage under new law
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida state employee health care plans are set to receive free skin cancer screening coverage, following the singing of legislation by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The bill, according to the staff analysis, requires contracted state group health insurance plans or health maintenance organizations to provide coverage and payment, without the imposition of a deductible, copayment, coinsurance or any other cost sharing requirement for an annual skin cancer screening.
The state contracted health plans cover over 300,000 state employees, spouses and dependents.
The legislation, HB 241, was sponsored by Reps. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, and Bobby Payne, R-Palatka.
According to Florida Health Charts, there were 8,216 incidences of skin cancer amongst every 100,000 residents. The rates were primarily high in southwest Florida and the Space Coast region. Parts of the panhandle and north Florida were found to have the lowest rates.
The bill is set to go into effect on July 1.
