Florida lawmakers propose skin cancer screenings covered by some insurance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - With a nickname like "The Sunshine State", skin cancer screenings should be at the top of mind for Floridians. 

A new bill working its way through both legislative chambers in Tallahassee would shift the high cost of skin cancer screenings to insurance companies. 

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This is "take two" for HB 241 after a bill seeking similar coverage failed in the State House and Senate in 2023. 

This year, Rep. Ralph Massullo and Sen. Gayle Harrell tried again, with a big change; this new bill would only require coverage from state group health insurance plans, and health maintenance organizations. 

That means only state workers, and eligible family members, would be eligible for the subsidized annual screenings. 

That includes court workers, state university employees, and anyone who works in the legislative or executive branches of state government, among others. 

Efforts to get screenings covered for all insured Floridians stalled in the State House and State Senate last year. It wasn't until bill sponsors Rep. Massullo and Sen. Harrell narrowed the scope of coverage to contracted state group health insurance plans that they saw some success in Tallahassee. 

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida reported 7,313 cases of melanoma and 676 melanoma-related deaths in 2020. 

For 2024, The American Cancer Society estimates  9,880 cases of melanoma, with a projected 790 deaths.