BILL NUMBER: SB 173	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 31, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 4, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 3, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 30, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Simitian
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Alquist)
    (   Coauthor:  Senator   Runner
  ) 

                        FEBRUARY 7, 2011

   An act to add Section 687 to the Business and Professions Code,
relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 173, as amended, Simitian. Healing arts: mammograms.
   Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975
(Knox-Keene Act), provides for the licensure and regulation of health
care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care.
Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of health
insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law provides for
the regulation of health care practitioners, as defined. Existing law
requires health care service plan contracts, except specialized
health care service plan contracts, and certain health insurance
policies to provide a certain level of coverage for mammograms and
breast cancer screening and diagnosis, as specified. Existing federal
law requires a written report of the results of each mammography
examination and requires a summary of that report to be sent to the
patient within a specified time period.
   This bill would require, under specified circumstances, a health
care practitioner who performs a mammography examination under those
provisions to include in the summary of the written report sent to
the patient a specified notice on breast density.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 687 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   687.  A health care practitioner who performs a mammography
examination pursuant to Section 1367.65 of the Health and Safety Code
or Section 10123.81 of the Insurance Code shall, if a patient has
heterogeneously dense breasts or extremely dense breasts based on the
Breast Imaging  and  Reporting  and  Data
System established by the American College of Radiology, include in
the summary of the written report sent to the patient, as required by
federal law, the following notice:

   "Because your mammogram demonstrates that you have dense breast
tissue, which could hide small abnormalities, you might benefit from
supplementary screening tests, depending on your individual risk
factors. A report of your mammography results, which contains
information about your breast density, has been sent to your
physician's office and you should contact your physician if you have
any questions or concerns about this report."