Juneau -- The Alaska Senate Friday passed House Bill 416, sponsored by the House Health, Education, and Social Services (HESS) Committee.

HB 416 lowers the minimum age for insurance coverage of prostate cancer screening from 50 to 40 years for the general population and from 40 to 35 years for men in high risk groups. "High risk" groups are African-American men and men who have a family history of prostate cancer.

"This bill came about largely due to the efforts of Mike Miller, a constituent of mine," said Representative Bill Hudson (R-Juneau), a member of the House HESS Committee. "Mike is a four-year prostate cancer survivor who made the effort to see that the HESS Committee became aware of the need for this bill."

"Over the four years Mr. Miller has been suffering from this disease, approximately 800 Alaska men have been diagnosed with prostate cancer," said Representative Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River), Chair of the House HESS Committee. "Many of their sons will also contract the disease. HB 416 gives these men an opportunity to be diagnosed at an earlier age."

HB 416 passed the Senate 19-1.