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

## What This Bill Does

This bill would require Medicare to cover multi-cancer early detection screening tests—blood tests that can screen for multiple types of cancer at once by analyzing cell-free DNA (genetic material) in the bloodstream. Currently, Medicare does not cover these tests. The bill would add this coverage starting January 1, 2028, but only for tests that have been approved by the FDA and meet specific medical standards determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

## Who Would Benefit

Medicare beneficiaries (primarily seniors age 65+) would be the primary beneficiaries, as they would gain access to these screening tests at no cost. However, the bill includes age restrictions: in 2028, only Medicare beneficiaries age 68 and older would be eligible, with the minimum age increasing by one year each subsequent year. Additionally, beneficiaries could only receive one test per year (tests must be spaced at least 12 months apart).

## Key Provisions

- **Payment**: Medicare would pay for these tests at the same rate currently paid for stool DNA screening tests (approximately $500-600) through 2030, then potentially lower rates after that
- **FDA Approval Required**: Only tests that have been cleared or approved by the FDA can be covered
- **Future Changes**: If the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a multi-cancer test with an "A" or "B" grade, the age restrictions and payment limits would no longer apply
- **Implementation Date**: Coverage would begin January 1, 2028, giving time for test development and regulatory approval

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

Crapo, Mike

Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage ActThis bill allows, beginning in 2028, for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types, if the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services determines such coverage is appropriate. Coverage is limited to those under a certain age (age 68 in 2028, increased by one year every year thereafter) and to one test every 11 months.