State lawmakers should be wary of turning Pennsylvania into New York, whose legislature is continually adding new requirements for health insurance providers in the Empire State.

It’s something to keep in mind after Rep. Joe Hogan, R-Feasterville, introduced a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation he is drafting that will require insurers cover ovarian cancer screening tests for women over the age of 40. We aren’t saying Hogan’s bill is a bad idea, and we know that making insurance companies cover the cost of the tests will help protect women from ovarian cancer.

The problem is walking the tightrope between helping as many people as possible and keeping health insurance affordable enough for state residents to actually afford it. Bills like Hogan’s are always well meaning regardless of whether they’re sponsored by a Republican or a Democrat. Legislators hear some truly heartbreaking stories that prompt them to want to help. And, there are times legislation is absolutely necessary to prompt insurance companies to cover things that really should be covered.

Hogan’s bill will be similar to bills passed in 2023 that eliminated out-of-pocket costs for supplemental screening imaging by requiring that follow-up diagnostic mammograms, breast MRIs and ultrasounds are also covered without cost-sharing under state-regulated insurance plans. Senate Bill 88 repealed provisions that prevented many Pennsylvanians from receiving timely diagnostic imaging after abnormal screening, particularly affecting those who could not afford costly out-of-pocket testing.

“I believe we should have the same form of insurance benefit for women to test against this silent killer,” Hogan said.

We don’t disagree. But legislators need to see the forest through the trees when it comes to health insurance coverage requirements. The more we add, the more the costs will escalate – and that hurts the people on the margin who struggle to afford health care the most.