Wisconsin Health News | January 22, 2026

The Assembly health committee signed off on a trio of bills Wednesday, including one that would require insurers to cover supplemental screenings for women at increased risk of breast cancer or with dense breast tissue. 

The committee tweaked the bill to align with the version that passed the Senate last year. The amendment bars insurers from charging cost-sharing for one supplemental breast exam a policy year. 

“This is the right thing to do,” Rep. Patrick Snyder, D-Weston, said before the committee unanimously recommended the bill. “We need to pass it.” 

Rep. Robyn Vining, D-Wauwatosa, called on her colleagues to “spend your political capital” to get the legislation over the finish line. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, questioned whether the bill was needed in a statement to the Isthmus earlier this month. Insurers have raised concerns about how insurance mandates can affect affordability. 

“I don't want to come back here next session with less people in this world whose lives could have been saved,” Vining said. 

The committee also approved a bill that would create an alternative pathway to the current guardianship process. Health systems support the legislation as a way to help move incapacitated patients into long-term care settings faster, freeing up hospital beds.

“This needs to get done so people aren't lingering in a hospital when they don't need to,” Snyder said. 

The committee voted 12-3 to pass the bill, with Vining and Reps. Tara Johnson, D-Town of Shelby, and Renuka Mayadev, D-Madison, voting no. Vining cited opposition to the proposal from aging, disability, legal and patient advocates over concerns about bypassing existing patient protections.   

“There's a lot of dissent, so I don't think that we're there yet,” she said. “I hope we get there.” 

Lawmakers on the committee unanimously signed off on legislation directing the Department of Safety and Professional Services to contract with an entity to run a health professional assistance program, which would help healthcare workers with mental health, substance use and other health challenges. Wisconsin is one of three states without such a program. 

“This legislation represents a smart, balanced investment,” Jim Lorence, chief value and engagement officer at the Wisconsin Medical Society, wrote in testimony submitted at a public hearing last week on the bill. “It strengthens patient safety, supports professional accountability and helps Wisconsin retain experienced healthcare workers at a moment when every clinician matters.” 

The three bills now head to the full Assembly for further consideration