MADISON (NBC 26) — Gov. Tony Evers signed bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding access to breast cancer screenings Thursday, a measure named in honor of a Neenah woman whose late diagnosis was linked to dense breast tissue.
“Gail’s Law,” Senate Bill 264, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 103, requires health insurance plans, including BadgerCare, to fully cover medically necessary supplemental or diagnostic breast screenings for women with dense breasts or at heightened risk of breast cancer. Coverage will include MRIs and ultrasounds without cost-sharing for the first screening each year.
Evers signed the bill in memory of Gail Zeamer, who died in 2024 at age 56.
Zeamer was diagnosed at Stage III in 2016 despite receiving yearly mammograms, a delay she attributed to challenges in detecting cancer in dense breast tissue. She helped pass earlier legislation in 2018 requiring patients to be notified if they have dense breasts.
“Thanks to Gail and her family’s relentless efforts, we’re working to fix the system to save lives,” Evers said during a signing ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol, joined by Zeamer’s husband, Steve, and daughters Sophie and Claudia.
The law is designed to reduce health disparities and promote early detection. Nearly half of women over 40 have dense breasts, according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which can make mammograms less effective. Additional testing such as MRIs and ultrasounds can improve detection.
Wisconsin officials estimate more than 6,000 women in the state will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2026. Nationally, breast cancer is among the most costly cancers to treat, with medical expenses topping $26 billion in 2020.
The bill takes effect four months after publication and will apply to January 1 policy years following enactment.
Sophie and Claudia Zeamer said their mother’s “simple but powerful” wish was that no woman would be denied screenings because of cost. “Today, that wish becomes law,” they said.
Editor's note: This web story was written by a human author with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools. All content has been reviewed and edited by the author for accuracy and clarity.
