Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

H.R. 842 would expand Medicare coverage to include multi-cancer early detection screening tests, beginning in 2028. These would be blood or other tests that can screen for multiple types of cancer at once. Coverage would be limited to Medicare beneficiaries under a certain age, starting at age 68 in 2028 and increasing by one year annually. Beneficiaries could receive one such test every 11 months. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would need to determine that coverage is appropriate for each test, and the Food and Drug Administration would need to have approved the test first.

If enacted, this bill could provide Medicare beneficiaries with access to newer cancer screening technologies that may detect multiple cancers earlier, potentially improving health outcomes. However, coverage would be limited by age restrictions and frequency limits. The bill has passed committee review and is eligible for a floor vote in the House, though it would still need to pass the full House, Senate, and receive presidential signature to become law.