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Advocates push ASAP Act: aim to clear legal barrier for Medicare screening coverage
Summary
Advocates told the council the bipartisan Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP) would remove a legal barrier preventing Medicare from covering screening tests for asymptomatic people; sponsors aim to enable coverage lined up for early 2028 so agencies have time to implement.
Rachel Conant of the Alzheimer's Association urged the council to back the bipartisan ASAP Act, which she described as a legislative pathway to allow Medicare to cover screening tests for people who do not yet show symptoms. Conant said screening coverage in Medicare cannot proceed under current law for asymptomatic beneficiaries and described two established pathways to coverage: a USPSTF A or B recommendation or an act of Congress. "We are calling this our mammogram moment," she said, pointing to how Medicare coverage historically transformed uptake of other screenings.
Conant laid out the bill's aims: the legislation does not mandate testing or change FDA's review processes; rather, it removes the statutory barrier so Congress, CMS and FDA can coordinate implementation. She said the bill includes a target implementation date so CMS and FDA have time to finalize coverage and regulatory details; the text presented to the council set coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2028, though that date may shift during negotiations. Advocates reported broad bipartisan support—47 Senate cosponsors and about 180 in the House—and asked the council to include ASAP in its recommendations.
Why it matters: the bill would create a route for Medicare‑funded screening of asymptomatic beneficiaries, potentially increasing early diagnosis and access to interventions pending evidence and regulatory approval.
