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Bill Summary · HB 128

HB 128 — Establish Prostate Cancer Control Program (summary)

Status (provided): Passed 1st Reading
Introduced: August 15, 2025 (metadata)
Sponsor (filed version): Representative R. Pierce
Effective date (bill text): July 1, 2025

Purpose / intent

Create a statewide Prostate Cancer Control Program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health, to expand access to prostate cancer screening and timely follow‑up for uninsured and underinsured men who meet specified age, family‑history, and income criteria.

Key provisions

  • Appropriation: Recurring General Fund appropriation of $2,000,000 for FY 2025–2026 and $2,000,000 for FY 2026–2027 to DHHS, Division of Public Health, to establish and administer the program.
  • Services: Program will provide free or low‑cost prostate cancer screenings and follow‑up care (the bill does not list specific tests; administrative guidance will determine screening modalities and clinical protocols).
  • Eligibility (all conditions must be met):
    • Resident of the State (North Carolina in the filed text).
    • Uninsured or underinsured.
    • Not a beneficiary of Medicare Part B or Medicaid.
    • Age criteria:
    • 50–70 years old with no family history of prostate cancer; or
    • 40–70 years old with a family history of prostate cancer.
    • Household income below 250% of the federal poverty level.
  • Definition of family history: At least one first‑degree relative who was diagnosed with, developed, or died from prostate cancer; was diagnosed with cancer associated with higher prostate‑cancer risk; or has a genetic alteration known to increase prostate‑cancer risk.
  • Effective date: The act takes effect July 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: Uninsured or underinsured men meeting the age, family‑history, and income requirements (focus on lower‑income populations not covered by Medicare Part B or Medicaid).
  • State agency: DHHS, Division of Public Health — responsible for program creation, administration, and contracting/granting to providers.
  • Health care providers and community clinics: may be engaged to deliver screening and follow‑up services and to receive program funding.
  • State budget/taxpayers: recurring $2 million annual appropriation for at least two fiscal years.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The bill text specifies funding for two consecutive fiscal years (FY 2025–26 and FY 2026–27) as recurring appropriations.
  • Effective July 1, 2025; implementation steps (rulemaking, provider contracting, outreach) would occur after funding is available and DHHS develops program operations.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Public health: Likely to increase early detection among uninsured/underinsured men, potentially reducing advanced‑stage diagnoses and disparities.
  • Health system: May increase demand for diagnostic workups, biopsies, and follow‑up care—requiring clear referral pathways and capacity planning.
  • Fiscal: $2M/year provides initial funding for screening and program administration; long‑term costs for treatment resulting from increased detection are not specified.
  • Implementation needs: outreach to eligible men, provider reimbursement arrangements, data collection to monitor outcomes and equity, and clinical screening protocols (to balance benefits/harms of prostate screening).

If you want, I can draft a short implementation checklist for DHHS (outreach, clinical protocol decisions, provider network, data reporting) or produce talking points summarizing benefits and trade‑offs for stakeholders.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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