Prevent Cancer Foundation leads more than 500 organizations in support of Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act in the Senate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kyra Meister
703-836-1746
kyra.meister@preventcancer.org
Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate introduced bipartisan legislation that recognizes emerging advances in our nation’s fight against cancer by ensuring Medicare can make a coverage decision for new, innovative tests that could detect multiple types of cancer. The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act will allow older Americans with Medicare the possibility of access to multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and shown to have clinical benefit. MCED tests, also called liquid biopsies, are blood-based tests, designed to identify the presence of cancer for more than one cancer at a time.
S. 2085 is sponsored by U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.). This legislation modernizes the Medicare program and creates a benefit category for MCED tests, which allows the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to initiate an evidenced-based coverage process for multi-cancer tests upon FDA approval.
On March 30, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 2407 is sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.). S. 2085 is the companion bill that brings us one step closer to enabling older Americans with Medicare to access MCED tests. The Prevent Cancer Foundation appreciates the leadership of Sens. Crapo, Bennet, Scott and Cardin on this legislation to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries, and their health care providers, have access to these transformative new early detection tests.
“Without systems driving us forward to ignite change, existing disparities and the number of cancers found in late stages are likely to remain stagnant,” said Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. “We are hopeful that Congress will act swiftly in passing this important legislation.”
Breaking barriers in cancer prevention and early detection is a collective effort, and the Prevent Cancer Foundation is leading the charge. The Foundation is honored to announce that 500+ organizations from every corner of the country have come together to endorse H.R. 2407 and S. 2085. This landmark legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring that older Americans with Medicare have access to these potentially lifesaving tests.
“Science is changing, treatments are improving, but coverage is not keeping up. We need Congress to enable Medicare patients to access the newest lifesaving or life-extending tests and treatments,” said Carole Florman, policy fellow at CancerCare, one of the more than 500 organizations who has signed on to support this legislation.
Read the full letter and view the list of signers. For more information on multi-cancer early detection, visit www.preventcancer.org/early.
###
À propos de la Fondation Prévenir le Cancer®
La Fondation Prévenir le Cancer® est les seuls États-Unis-basé organisation à but non lucratif uniquement dédié à cancer prévention et précoce détection. Par la recherche, l'éducation, sensibilisation et plaidoyer, nous avons aidé d’innombrables personnes à éviter un diagnostic de cancer ou à détecter leur cancer suffisamment tôt pour être traité avec succès. Nous sommes conduits par une vision d'un monde où le cancer est évitable, détectable et battable pour tous.
La Fondation se mobilise pour relever le défi de réduire les décès par cancer de 40% d'ici 2035. Pour y parvenir, nous sommes s'est engagé à investir $20 millions dans des technologies innovantes permettant de détecter le cancer à un stade précoce et de progresser multi-dépistage du cancer, $10 millions pour élargir l'accès au dépistage du cancer et à la vaccination médicalement communautés mal desservies et $10 millions pour informer le public sur les options de dépistage et de vaccination.
Pour plus d'informations, s'il vous plaît visitez www.preventcancer.org.