Several key members of the Senate Finance Committee have reintroduced a bill that seeks to establish a Medicare coverage pathway for breakthrough early-detection cancer tests.
The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Act would generate a coverage option for certain MCED tests that secure Food and Drug Administration approval. These tests can screen for dozens of cancers, some of which lack other effective testing options.
The bill would also allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to use evidence-based analysis to determine specific coverage parameters for building out that path.
In addition, the bill establishes that these MCED tests are meant to be a supplement, not a replacement, for existing testing options, according to an announcement from the senators.
The bill enjoys support from healthcare organizations and patient advocates across the country, according to the release.
“Breakthroughs in early cancer detection can drive more effective treatments and higher survival rates,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, one of the bill's cosponsors, said in the release. “By providing a Medicare coverage pathway for multi-cancer early detection screening tests, this bipartisan bill would ensure seniors can receive lifesaving preventive care, a crucial step in combating the chronic disease epidemic."
"With strong support from patients and families across the country, I look forward to advancing this legislation across the finish line and to President Trump’s desk," Crapo said.