ACCC Applauds Senate Leaders for Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Medicare Coverage of Early Cancer Screenings

WASHINGTON, DC – On June 22, Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (S. 2805), granting Medicare the authority to cover the latest cancer screening technologies once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. MCED (multi-cancer early detection) technology and the bipartisan effort to provide coverage for high-risk communities signifies a major advancement in the fight against cancer.

“As health care professionals, we continually work to integrate new technologies into prevention, detection, and treatment for our patients. Multi-cancer early detection screening harnesses the latest technology to catch cancer earlier, giving patients a greater chance at survival,” said Barbara Schmidtman, PhD, Chair of the ACCC Governmental Affairs Committee. “We are counting on Congress to pass the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Act this year so all patients—especially older Americans—have access to these game-changing tools.”

For years, health care professionals have relied on early detection screenings for just five types of cancer. MCED tests give clinicians the ability to screen for dozens of types of cancers at once—many of which currently have no early detection methods. Because these tests require only a single draw of blood, they can be administered in a wide variety of health care settings. Early cancer detection has been shown to improve outcomes for patients, enhance their quality of life, and lower treatment costs.

Innovation is a core value of ACCC in its mission to adapt to complex changes in the delivery of quality cancer care. With 70 percent of all cancer diagnoses occurring among Medicare beneficiaries, current law needs to be modernized to accommodate advances in technology.

Learn more about the legislation and about MCED tests at ACCC's MCED Education Portal.

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