Rep. Sewell reintroduces bill to expand access to early detection cancer screenings

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, Ala.-07, joined House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, TX-19, to reintroduce H.R. 842, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, in the House of Representatives. The bill would allow for multi-cancer early detection tests to be covered by Medicare in a timely manner upon approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

The bill has gained critical momentum in Congress, passing out of the House Ways and Means Committee last year by a unanimous, bipartisan vote of 38-0. Last Congress, it was cosponsored by 319 House members and more than 60 senators.

“Cancer affects everyone. It knows no political party or ZIP code,” said Rep. Sewell. “After gaining critical momentum in the last Congress, we are excited to be reintroducing the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare MCED Screening Coverage Act to expand access to early detection cancer screenings for our seniors. I thank Chairman Arrington for his partnership and for naming the bill after my mother, the late Nancy Gardner Sewell. Her legacy will live on in the millions of Americans whose lives will be changed by this legislation.”

The bill’s Republican lead, Chairman Jodey Arrington, named the legislation in honor of Rep. Sewell’s mother, the late Nancy Gardner Sewell, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2021.

“This year, the families of 2 million Americans will learn their loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, and the only way to win this all-too-personal war on cancer and defeat this insidious disease is to unleash the power of American innovation,” said Chairman Arrington. “Increasing access to multi-cancer early detection screenings will not only drastically improve quality of life for American cancer patients and their families while saving taxpayer dollars, but save lives by catching cancer before it spreads – just like it did for Tad Carper of the Dallas Cowboys. It’s an honor to name this legislation in memory of my friend Rep. Terri Sewell’s late mother, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2021, and I urge my colleagues to quickly pass this bipartisan legislation into law and deliver for the American people.”

The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would increase seniors’ timely access to multi-cancer early detection technology by creating a pathway to Medicare coverage. This bill will allow for Medicare coverage of MCED screenings once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These new MCED screening tools will complement existing screening and dramatically improve our nation’s cancer early detection capabilities.

Currently, we are only able to commonly screen for five cancers and just 14 percent of cancers are found through screenings. These tools introduce a significant shift in the cancer screening landscape. Ensuring seniors have timely access is essential since age is the primary risk factor for cancer and more than 70 percent of cancer diagnoses are in the Medicare population. This legislation will open the door to a new era of detecting and treating cancer while ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens are not left behind. 

Specifically, the legislation would: 

1. Create the authority for CMS to cover blood-based MCED tests and future test methods once approved by the FDA and shown to have clinical benefit. 
2. Maintain CMS’ authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests. 
3. Clarify that (1) these new tools will complement, not replace, existing screenings and coverage and (2) cost sharing will not be impacted.

The legislation enjoys the support of more than 500 organizations across the nation.

“Rep. Terri Sewell’s leadership on the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act is a beacon of hope for countless lives,” said Jim Crandall, Founder of Laura Crandall Brown Foundation in Alabama. “By creating a pathway for Medicare coverage of innovative blood tests that detect cancers earlier, she is paving the way for a future where prevention and early detection save more families from heartbreak. We are inspired by her dedication and hopeful that this year marks a historic step forward in the fight against cancer.”