As skin cancers become more fatal, Florida’s legislators reject full insurance coverage
Source: Yahoo! News, June 2023
Skin cancers in Florida are becoming more prevalent and more deadly.
While the majority are caught early, the Florida Cancer Data System shows about 630 people on average die in the state each year from melanoma, a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer. Nationally, the number of melanoma deaths is expected to increase by 4.4% in 2023, according to the American Cancer Society. Florida is the state with the second highest rate of new melanoma cases.
Dr. Ralph Massullo, a dermatologist from Lecanto, wants to improve the statistics. Massullo also is a Florida Representative, and in the spring legislative session he proposed a bill that would require insurers to fully pay for annual skin cancer screenings performed by licensed dermatologists without imposing any costs such as co-pays to patients.