,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aicf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bj1     
#bjai,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself1     
,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,mrs4  
,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 ,mrs4        
,gillibrand1 ,mrs4 ,hyde-,smith1 ,mr4   
,portman1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1
 and ,ms4 ,stabenow7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to protect   
coverage for screening mammography1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,protecting ,access to ,lifesaving      
,screenings ,act of #bjai or the ,,pals 
,act4  #b4 ,protecting coverage for     
screening mammography  7a7 ,in ,general 
,effective during the period beginning  
on the date of the enactment of this    
,act and ending ,january #a1 #bjbe1 any 
provision of law that refers 7including 
through cross-reference to another      

provision of law7 to the current        
recommendations of the ,united ,states  
,preventive ,services ,task ,force with 
respect to breast cancer screening      
mammography shall be administered as    
if--  7#a7 such reference to such       
current recommendations were a reference
 to the recommendations of such ,task   
,force with respect to breast cancer    
screening mammography last issued before
 #bjji2 and  7#b7 such recommendations  
last issued before #bjji applied to any 
screening mammography modality under    
section #ahfa7;jj7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7jj774  7b7 ,continuing medicare  
coverage without coinsurance ,section   
#ahcc7;a77#a77,y7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciel7a77#a77,y77 is amended by        
inserting after in the case of such     
services described in subparagraph 7,a7 
the following3 7other than screening    
mammography74  7c7 ,maintaining         
frequency of medicare coverage ,section 

#ahcd7;c77#b77;,b77ii7 of the ,social   
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciem7c77#b77;,b77ii77 is amended by   
inserting before the period at the end  
the following3 1 except that in the case
 of a woman over #ci years of age1 such 
revision may not decrease such          
frequency4  7d7 ,clarifying the         
definition of screening mammography     
,section #ahfa7;jj7 of the ,social      
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7jj77 is amended by inserting 1   
including any digital modality 7such as 
screening breast tomosynthesis7 of such 
a procedure1 after radiologic procedure4
  7e7 ,application to services furnished
 through ,department of ,veterans       
,affairs ,section #gcbb7;b7 of title    
#ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
to read as follows3  7b7 ,the policy    
developed under subsection 7a71 and any 
other policy of the ,department of      
,veterans ,affairs relating to          
mammography screening1 shall--  7#a7    
specify standards of mammography        

screening that ensure that the frequency
 of such screenings is not less than the
 frequency of such screenings provided  
pursuant to section #b7;a7 of the       
,protecting ,access to ,lifesaving      
,screenings ,act of #bjai2  7#b7 provide
 recommendations1 consistent with       
paragraph 7#a71 with respect to         
screening1 and the frequency of         
screening1 for veterans1 without regard 
to age1 who have clinical symptoms1 risk
 factors1 or family history of breast   
cancer2 and  7#c7 provide for clinician 
discretion in individual cases4  4