PREFERRED Screening Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a Medicare pilot program that pays doctors and other providers to give patients a comprehensive breast cancer risk assessment using genetic testing, family history, and lifestyle factors.
• Only Medicare patients between ages 40 and 75 who are in traditional Medicare, not Medicare Advantage, and who do not have end stage renal disease or hospice care can get this benefit.
• HHS must prioritize signing up providers in the 10 states with the worst breast cancer death rates, plus rural and medically underserved areas, so people with the least access to genetic counseling can be reached first.
• Providers can mail genetic testing kits to patients' homes instead of requiring an in-person visit, making the program easier to access for people far from specialists.
• The program is a 7 year test run using existing Medicare funds, with no new money appropriated, and Congress will get reports on whether it should become permanent.