Latest news with #MedicareMulti-CancerEarlyDetectionScreeningCoverageAct
The Hill
05-08-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Something both sides agree on: A bill to prevent late-stage cancer
One million Medicare beneficiaries will be diagnosed with cancer this year. 600,000 people in the U.S. will die of cancer this year. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, affecting millions of families each year. Evidence consistently shows that early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes, reduces costs and saves lives. Investing in early detection is a critical and cost-effective public health strategy. Despite this, our healthcare system is still struggling to keep up. Many Americans, especially those living on fixed incomes, in rural communities or facing already limited access to healthcare, are being diagnosed at later stages of cancer, when outcomes are poorer and treatment much more expensive. And for too many, the diagnosis arrives not just as a health crisis, but as a financial one. I have worked with too many families who find themselves facing impossible choices — buy groceries for the week or cover their cancer treatments. Against this backdrop, Congress has a rare and urgent opportunity to act. Last year, members of the House Committee on Ways and Means shared deeply personal stories of how cancer has touched their lives as they reviewed and unanimously supported the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act. So, it should come as no surprise that the act is the first and only health care bill to garner majority support in both the House and Senate. That level of bipartisan consensus is almost unheard of. But the job isn't finished until this bill becomes law. My organization, the Cancer Support Community, and other nonprofits have seen where the system fails patients. Rural communities, in particular, face significant disparities in access to timely screening and care. Our data shows that longer travel times to treatment often result in later-stage diagnoses and lower quality of life. Catching cancer early can prevent this, offering patients the opportunity to receive less aggressive (and less expensive) treatment, and most importantly, more time with loved ones. Yet many cancers still lack reliable screening tools. Expanding investment in early detection is not only a medical imperative, it's an economic one. The earlier cancer is found, the less it costs to treat and the better the chances of survival. One estimate suggests that the preventative cancer screenings we do have saved the U.S. a cumulative $6.5 trillion over the last 25 years. The Nancy Gardner Sewell Act would modernize Medicare to allow for coverage of cutting-edge screening technologies that can detect dozens of cancers through a simple blood test. This policy would mark a turning point in the fight against cancer, particularly for older adults who face the highest risk and are often diagnosed in later stages. The support is overwhelming. More than 550 organizations representing cancer patients, providers, researchers and advocates have urged lawmakers to seize this moment. Congress has already thoroughly vetted this bill and cleared it for passage. When lawmakers return from their summer break, there will be no better time to get this bill over the finish line. Everything is ready to go. The support is there. Now is the time for passage.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Seizing the moment: The U.S. Congress's opportunity to revolutionize cancer screening
MCED blood tests can detect the presence and location of dozens of cancer types with a high degree of accuracy. Because the test requires only a simple blood draw, it is easy to administer in rural areas and in smaller clinics that may not have specialized equipment, writes guest columnist Teresa Stanfill. (Getty Images) This year, the U.S. Congress has a unique opportunity to strike a significant — and swift — blow against cancer. Last Congress, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, led efforts to advance legislation establishing access to multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests. The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would make a meaningful difference in how cancer is screened for and detected. The bill has sweeping support — both inside and outside of Congress — and, after enormous progress last session, it is ready for quick enactment this year. Sen. Crapo's bill would remove regulatory red tape and create a pathway for MCED tests to be available to those who need them most. For the nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries who will be diagnosed with cancer this year, access to these life-changing tests could mean catching their illnesses earlier — when it can be more easily treated. Catching cancer earlier not only improves a patient's chance of successful treatment, it also reduces the costly burden of cancer care, often helping patients and families avert expensive late-stage treatments and, more importantly, preserving hope and health. Today's screening methods are the best tool we have against cancer, yet only five cancers — breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate — currently have broadly accessible methods. Because of this, more than 70% of U.S. cancer deaths are caused by cancers without approved early detection methods. Many patients with these cancers aren't diagnosed until their cancer is at a more advanced stage, requiring more invasive treatment – and all the physical, emotional, and financial strain that comes with it. Here in Idaho, residents experience higher rates of some cancer types compared to the national average. If broad access to MCED tests becomes available, more Idahoans could have a better chance at beating the disease before it advances to more dangerous stages. MCED blood tests can detect the presence and location of dozens of cancer types with a high degree of accuracy. Because the test requires only a simple blood draw, it is easy to administer in rural areas and in smaller clinics that may not have specialized equipment. This accessibility is particularly crucial in states like Idaho, where large portions of the population live far from major health care centers. Early detection dramatically increases the likelihood of successful treatment, a fact underscored by the support for this legislation from medical associations across the state. Endorsers include the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, Idaho Center for Nursing, Idaho Medical Association, Idaho Society of Clinical Oncology, American Nurses Association of Idaho, Nurse Leaders of Idaho, and the Nurse Practitioners of Idaho – all of which recognize the potential of MCED tests to improve patient outcomes. The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would allow Medicare to cover MCED tests once they are approved by the FDA. This coverage is critical because most cancer diagnoses occur in people aged 65 and older. Enabling Medicare coverage would provide seniors with access to the latest in life-changing cancer screening technology — in the same way that it can be available in the private sector. This could level the playing field for older Americans, providing them with more options to catch cancer early and pursue treatment in its most manageable stages. In the last Congress, nearly 400 lawmakers and over 500 advocacy organizations supported Sen. Crapo's bill. It has also already been deeply vetted by Congressional committees. With such a strong foundation of support — and an urgent need for better cancer detection — this legislation is now ready for swift passage. Congress has the chance to secure an early and meaningful victory against cancer by passing this legislation now – potentially saving countless lives and sparing families the devastation of late-stage cancer diagnoses. Thanks to Sen. Crapo's immense leadership, the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act is teed up for quick enactment this year. Idaho's cancer advocacy community is hopeful that Congress will now seize the moment without delay. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Area congressman part of older adult health screen bill
RANDOLPH COUNTY — A congressman who serves the Piedmont Triad is part of a bipartisan campaign in Congress to expand the scope of cancer screenings for older adults. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-9th District, is a cosponsor of legislation being introduced in the House and Senate to increase access to early detection technology through Medicare coverage for a multiple number of cancers in older adults. 'Too often, families in North Carolina and across the country are devastated by a cancer diagnosis,' said Hudson, whose district covers Randolph County and Jamestown. 'By increasing access to multicancer early detection screening tests, we can catch cancers sooner and save lives.' The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would allow for Medicare coverage of greater numbers of cancer early detection screenings once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The expansion of the screenings through Medicare coverage would make a major difference since more than 70% of cancer diagnoses are in the Medicare population. 'We have the opportunity to chart a course that revolutionizes the ability to detect cancer in earlier stages, leading to lives and families saved,' said Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation. 'It's time to seize that opportunity and ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to multi-cancer early detection tests following FDA approval.' Advocates rolled out the proposal this week on Capitol Hill. The cosponsors of the bill include liberal Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and Michael Bennett, D-Colorado, and conservative Sens. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.
