Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
Bipartisan Senate Bill Proposes Medicare Coverage for New Blood Tests That Detect Multiple Cancers Early
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- A bipartisan group of Senators introduced a bill to let Medicare cover new blood tests that can detect many types of cancer at the same time. These tests look for signs of cancer in a person's DNA from a single blood draw, rather than testing for just one cancer at a time.
- To be covered, the tests must be approved by the FDA and the government must decide they are a helpful way to find illness early. The goal is to catch cancer when it is much easier and cheaper to treat, which could save many lives.
- The new coverage would begin on January 1, 2028. The bill includes specific age rules that limit who can get the test at first, with the eligibility age increasing by one year every year to slowly expand who is covered.
- Medicare would pay a set price for these tests, similar to what it currently pays for some advanced colon cancer screenings. This price would be locked in until 2031, when the government could choose to adjust the amount it pays based on market costs.
- This new test is meant to be an extra tool for doctors. Getting this blood test would not replace or stop Medicare from paying for other important screenings people already receive, such as mammograms or colonoscopies.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Programs
This bill would add a new benefit to Medicare: coverage for multi-cancer early detection screening tests (like blood-based liquid biopsy tests). Starting January 1, 2028, Medicare beneficiaries could get a single blood test that screens for many types of cancer at once, at no additional out-of-pocket cost beyond what Medicare pays. This could catch cancers earlier when they're more treatable, potentially saving lives. The test would be available once every 12 months, with age limits that start at 68 in 2028 and increase by one year each subsequent year.
Disabilities
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
4 articlesPBM Reforms, Restoration of Science Cuts Seen in $1.2T Spending Deal for 2026
The legislative package folded in a bill that calls on Medicare to fund multicancer early detection (MCED) testing starting in 2028. This law aligns our health care system with the pace of scientific innovation and brings us one step closer to a future where more cancers are found earlier.
Rep. Sewell's cancer screening bill advances unanimously in House committee
HR842, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act, passed the House Ways and Means Committee 43-0. The bill creates a pathway for Medicare to cover emerging diagnostic tools, once FDA-approved, which can screen for up to 40 cancers via blood test.
House Votes 341-88 for 'Minibus' Spending Package
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2026 includes Medicare provisions that lay the groundwork for adding coverage for blood tests that can detect many different forms of cancer at the same time. The bill passed the House with broad bipartisan support and now heads to the Senate.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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