Battling breast cancer; Wisconsin bill could save lives of thousands

Battling breast cancer; Wisconsin bill could save many lives

A new Wisconsin bill would require insurance companies to cover supplemental breast cancer screenings (MRIs/ultrasounds) with no co-pays for women with dense breast tissue or high-risk factors.

MILWAUKEE - Supporters say a new Wisconsin bill could save the lives of thousands of women, and help fight breast cancer. 

Gail's Law

What we know:

"Gail's Law" is not a law yet. But once it passes the legislature and Gov. Tony Evers signs it, it would mean no co-pays for follow-up screenings for women. 

Gail Zeamer pushed for the proposed now named after her. 

Gail Zeamer

"And the fact that this can help countless women across the state of Wisconsin is a fantastic thing," said Steve Zeamer, Gail's widower. 

Fighting breast cancer

The backstory:

Gail Zeamer started this push about nine years ago, when she was fighting her own breast cancer battle. The proposal centers on dense breast tissue, which Zeamer had. That dense tissue makes it harder to detect breast cancer in a regular mammogram. But it could more easily be spotted on an ultrasound or MRI. 

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"We now have the medical technology to diagnose these cancers earlier," Steve Zeamer said. "And the fact that there were financial limitations that stopped women from getting the access that they needed. As time has progressed here, and the technology has gotten better, it’s easier now to catch these cancers earlier."

Steve Zeamer

What the law will require

What we know:

Gail's Law would require that insurance companies cover supplemental breast screenings like MRI and ultrasound with no co-pays for someone with dense breast tissue or someone at increased risk of breast cancer. 

"This was such a passion project for her that, for our daughters, and to get this done for her, it means the world. And I’m just thankful to everyone involved," Zeamer said. 

In fall 2025, the Wisconsin Senate passed Gail's Law, 32-1. Last week, the Wisconsin Assembly passed the bill 96-0. But there was one person missing from the chamber for the votes. 

"It makes me a little sad to know she’s not here to see it. I know she’s with us, and I’m just happy that we can finish the job that she started," Steve Zeamer said. 

Gail Zeamer had a clear mammogram in 2016, a week before she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer, which was noticed because it spread.

Gail's efforts

Local perspective:

Gail Zeamer died in 2024, but her name lives on in the law that will soon be on the books in Wisconsin. The proposal only took on the name "Gail's Law" after she died. 

Gail Zeamer

This is not the first proposal Gail helped become law. Back in 2018, she helped create a law that requires doctors to notify a woman if she has dense breast tissue. 

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The Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition estimates nearly 6,000 women a year will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Hundreds will die.