# What the PSA Screening for HIM Act Does

This bill requires health insurance companies to cover prostate cancer screening tests for men at high risk of developing the disease, without charging them any out-of-pocket costs like copays or deductibles. Specifically, it targets African-American men and men who have a close family member (father or brother) who had prostate cancer or died from it. The bill treats these screenings the same way insurance already treats other preventive care like flu shots or mammograms—as something insurance must pay for completely.

The reasoning behind the bill is straightforward: prostate cancer is a serious health problem in America. It's the second leading cause of cancer death in men, and African-American men face particularly high risks—they're 70 percent more likely to get prostate cancer than white men and more than twice as likely to die from it. Men with a family history of prostate cancer also face significantly higher risks. The bill's supporters argue that early detection through screening can catch cancer when it's still treatable, with survival rates near 100 percent for early-stage cases compared to just 30 percent for advanced cases. By removing the cost barrier to screening, the bill aims to help high-risk men get tested earlier, potentially catching cancer before it becomes life-threatening.

The bill applies to all group health insurance plans (coverage through employers) and individual health insurance policies. Insurance companies would need to follow these requirements starting in 2022. The bill doesn't specify exactly which screening tests must be covered—that would be determined by medical guidelines—but it ensures that whatever tests doctors recommend for high-risk men would be fully covered with no patient cost-sharing.

PSA Screening for HIM Act

Rush, Bobby L.

Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk Insured Men Act or the PSA Screening for HIM Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover preventive prostate cancer screenings that are not already covered under the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for men with a family history of prostate cancer, without imposing any cost-sharing requirement.