WLWT: New Ohio breast cancer screening law now in effect

On Friday, Sept. 23, Ohio House Bill 371 went into effect, making it possible for more women in Ohio to have access to additional breast cancer screenings.

House Bill 371, passed by the Ohio General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine earlier this year, requires insurance companies to cover additional screenings for individuals who are at high risk for breast cancer or have dense breast tissue. The legislation was supported by the advocacy of survivors, UC researcher-physicians and state legislators.

WLWT News spoke with Ann Brown, MD, assistant professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and a UC Health breast radiologist, and breast cancer survivor Michele Young on the importance of the bill going into effect.

"As a breast radiologist; I see firsthand how breast cancer can be masked by dense tissue," Brown told WLWT. "And we know that this is an area that we fall short in early detection is for patients with dense breasts, so for those patients to get additional screening may be life-saving."

Watch or read the WLWT story.

Patient advocate Michele Young was also recently featured in a NBC News/Today Show story. Watch the story here.

Featured photo at top of Ann Brown, MD, from left, Rep. Sedrick Denson, patient Michele Young, Mary Mahoney, MD, and Rep. Jean Schmidt at a press conference celebrating the passage of House Bill 371. Photo/UC Health.

Related Stories

1

Sugar overload killing hearts

November 10, 2025

Two in five people will be told they have diabetes during their lifetime. And people who have diabetes are twice as likely to develop heart disease. One of the deadliest dangers? Diabetic cardiomyopathy. But groundbreaking University of Cincinnati research hopes to stop and even reverse the damage before it’s too late.

2

Is going nuclear the solution to Ohio’s energy costs?

November 10, 2025

The Ohio Capital Journal recently reported that as energy prices continue to climb, economists are weighing the benefits of going nuclear to curb costs. The publication dove into a Scioto Analysis survey of 18 economists to weigh the pros and cons of nuclear energy. One economist featured was Iryna Topolyan, PhD, professor of economics at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

3

App turns smartwatch into detector of structural heart disease

November 10, 2025

An app that uses an AI model to read a single-lead ECG from a smartwatch can detect structural heart disease, researchers reported at the 2025 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Although the technology requires further validation, researchers said it could help improve the identification of patients with heart failure, valvular conditions and left ventricular hypertrophy before they become symptomatic, which could improve the prognosis for people with these conditions.