Congress Considers Medicare Coverage for Multi Cancer Early Detection Screening Act
September 18, 2025 | Energy and Commerce: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation
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The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce convened on September 18, 2025, to discuss critical policies aimed at enhancing seniors' access to breakthrough medical technologies, with a particular focus on cancer detection. The meeting highlighted the bipartisan Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multicancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which aims to improve cancer screening for Medicare beneficiaries.
The session began with a compelling argument for the MSED Screening Coverage Act, emphasizing the urgent need for improved cancer detection methods. Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 600,000 lives annually, with seniors aged 65 and older accounting for a significant portion of diagnoses and fatalities. The statistics presented indicated that 1,200 Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with late-stage cancer each day, underscoring the critical need for early detection.
The discussion revealed that current screening options are limited to only five types of cancer, leaving 70% of cancer deaths resulting from cancers without proven screening tests. The proposed multi-cancer early detection tests, which utilize a simple blood draw and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and genomic sequencing, could revolutionize cancer screening. These tests promise to detect up to 50 different cancers with high accuracy, potentially transforming the approach to cancer detection from a site-specific to a comprehensive body-wide method.
The potential benefits of early detection were emphasized, with evidence suggesting that catching cancers at earlier stages can significantly increase survival rates. The economic implications were also discussed, as early detection could reduce the financial burden of cancer care on Medicare, which is projected to spend $1 trillion on cancer care over the next decade.
Following the initial presentation, Roger Royce, a cancer survivor, shared his personal experience with multi-cancer early detection tests. Diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer after a liquid biopsy, Royce highlighted the importance of early detection in his survival. He contrasted his experience with that of his brother, who was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and passed away shortly after. Royce's testimony underscored the life-saving potential of early detection and the need for broader access to such tests.
Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, also contributed to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of Medicare coverage for breakthrough medical devices and the need for standards that ensure safety and effectiveness for older patients.
The meeting concluded with a call to action for Congress to pass the MSED Screening Coverage Act, which would empower the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate and potentially provide coverage for these innovative blood-based tests following FDA approval. The committee members expressed a shared commitment to improving cancer detection and treatment for seniors, recognizing the transformative potential of the proposed legislation.
The session began with a compelling argument for the MSED Screening Coverage Act, emphasizing the urgent need for improved cancer detection methods. Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 600,000 lives annually, with seniors aged 65 and older accounting for a significant portion of diagnoses and fatalities. The statistics presented indicated that 1,200 Medicare beneficiaries are diagnosed with late-stage cancer each day, underscoring the critical need for early detection.
The discussion revealed that current screening options are limited to only five types of cancer, leaving 70% of cancer deaths resulting from cancers without proven screening tests. The proposed multi-cancer early detection tests, which utilize a simple blood draw and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and genomic sequencing, could revolutionize cancer screening. These tests promise to detect up to 50 different cancers with high accuracy, potentially transforming the approach to cancer detection from a site-specific to a comprehensive body-wide method.
The potential benefits of early detection were emphasized, with evidence suggesting that catching cancers at earlier stages can significantly increase survival rates. The economic implications were also discussed, as early detection could reduce the financial burden of cancer care on Medicare, which is projected to spend $1 trillion on cancer care over the next decade.
Following the initial presentation, Roger Royce, a cancer survivor, shared his personal experience with multi-cancer early detection tests. Diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer after a liquid biopsy, Royce highlighted the importance of early detection in his survival. He contrasted his experience with that of his brother, who was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma and passed away shortly after. Royce's testimony underscored the life-saving potential of early detection and the need for broader access to such tests.
Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, also contributed to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of Medicare coverage for breakthrough medical devices and the need for standards that ensure safety and effectiveness for older patients.
The meeting concluded with a call to action for Congress to pass the MSED Screening Coverage Act, which would empower the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate and potentially provide coverage for these innovative blood-based tests following FDA approval. The committee members expressed a shared commitment to improving cancer detection and treatment for seniors, recognizing the transformative potential of the proposed legislation.
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