ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state is poised to expand access to breast cancer screening.
Under a deal reached by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top lawmakers, the state will order 210 hospitals to expand hours when mammograms are offered and require insurance companies to eliminate deductibles and co-pays for the screening and some other diagnostic tests.
The proposal is expected to be formally approved by lawmakers this week.
Cuomo says the idea is to allow more women to get screened because early detection saves lives.
The Democratic governor has made combatting the disease a priority since the successful cancer treatment of his longtime girlfriend, Food Network star Sandra Lee.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed breast cancer in New York, with some 15,000 across the state diagnosed each year.
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