Section 1. Recodifies GS 58-51-57 as GS 58-3-271.

Section 2.(a). Amends new GS 58-3-271 changing the statute's title. Requires every health benefit plan offered by an insurer to provide coverage for examinations and lab tests that screen for early detection of cervical cancer and low-dose screening mammography (was, every policy or contract of accident or health insurance, and every preferred provider of benefit plans under GS 58-50-56 issued, renewed, or amended on or after January 1, 1992).

Adds definitions for cost-sharing requirement, dense breast tissue, diagnostic examination for breast cancer, magnetic resonance imaging, and supplemental examination for breast cancer.

Amends term defined from low-dose screening mammography to low-dose mammography and amends the definition by removing language that this screening is provided to an asymptomatic woman. Amends term defined from examinations and laboratory tests for the screening for the early detection of cervical cancer to screening of early detection of cervical cancer and makes technical changes to the definition.

Amends coverage provisions for low-dose screening mammography by making the provisions applicable to breast ultrasounds as well and adding a subdivision that includes one or more mammograms or breast ultrasounds per year for any woman with dense breast tissue when recommended by a healthcare provider. Makes other technical changes to this coverage subsection.

Adds subsection requiring every health benefit plan offered by an insurer that provides benefits for a diagnostic or supplemental examination for breast cancer to ensure that the cost-sharing requirements applicable to those examinations are no less favorable than the cost-sharing requirements applicable to a screening examination for breast cancer.

Section 2.(b). Repeals GS 58-65-92 (concerning coverage for mammograms and cervical cancer screenings by insurance certificates or subscriber contracts) and GS 58-67-76 (concerning coverage for mammograms and cervical cancer screenings by a health maintenance organization).

Section 2.(c). Section 2 is effective October 1, 2025, and applies to insurance contracts issued, renewed, or amended on or after that date.

Section 3.(a). Amends GS 135-48.51 to add GS 58-3-271 coverage to the provisions of Chapter 58 that apply to the State Health Plan (SHP).

Section 3.(b). Appropriates $3.6 million in recurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and $5 million in recurring funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year from the General Fund to the Department of State Treasurer to implement the coverage under the NC SHP for Teachers and State Employees. Effective July 1, 2025.

Section 3.(c). Section 3.(a) is effective October 1, 2025, and applies as of the start of the next plan year after that date.

Section 4. Appropriates $1.5 million for the 2025-2026 fiscal year from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office to be used to develop a program and incentives for recruiting, hiring, and retaining certified mammography technologists to perform 3D mammograms in rural and medically underserved areas in the State. Effective July 1, 2025.

Section 5. Amends GS 130A-215.5(a) by requiring additional information to be provided by all health care facilities performing mammography examinations. This new information includes any information required by the Mammography Quality Standards Act regulations issued by the US Food and Drug Administration, as set forth in 21 CFR § 900.12(c)(2)(iv), as from time to time amended. Amends language to be added to patient summaries of mammography reports when a facility determines that a patient has heterogeneously or extremely dense breasts to add clarifying language that breast tissue can either be dense or not dense and that the patient might benefit from supplementary screening tests like a breast ultrasound, breast MRI, or both, depending on individual risk factors. Section 5 is effective October 1, 2025.