National Minority Quality Forum Action Network Calls on Congress to Pass Bipartisan Legislation Advancing Multi-Cancer Early Detection to Address Health Equity Gaps

Legislation Establishes Medicare Coverage for Multi-Cancer Early Detection to Reduce Late-Stage Diagnoses and Improve Outcomes for Underserved Communities

Washington, D.C. [Dec 18, 2024] — “Congress has led the way before in creating meaningful policy changes that allow for access to cancer detection tools such as mammography and colonoscopies, and it has the chance to make history again by enacting the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act into law.” 

The National Minority Quality Forum Action Network today released the following statement urging swift congressional passage of the bipartisan health care package, including the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 2407) / the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (S. 2085), legislation critical to closing cancer health equity gaps.

“While we have seen tremendous progress in cancer treatment over the last several decades, too many people do not have access to the tools and treatments necessary to realize those improvements, especially people of color. Despite all of our progress, nearly 1,400 Medicare beneficiaries receive a late-stage cancer diagnosis every single day,” said Dr. Gary Puckrein, President and CEO. “Lower socioeconomic groups, certain racial and ethnic populations, and geographically isolated Americans, such as rural communities, tend to experience higher cancer death rates, less frequent use of proven screening tests, and higher rates of advanced cancer diagnoses. Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) can help change this.

“Congress has led the way before in creating meaningful policy changes that allow for access to cancer detection tools, such as mammography and colonoscopies, and it has the chance to make history again by enacting the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act into law. This bill establishes a strong foundation for coverage of MCED tests and creates a framework that enables CMS to evaluate available evidence. It is not often that such a pivotal and widely-supported health care bill comes along, and we applaud Congress for driving policy that puts patients first. We are urging support from lawmakers for this year-end package.”

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About National Minority Quality Forum Action Network

National Minority Quality Forum Action Network (NMQFAN) is the 501(c)4 nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of National Minority Quality Forum. NMQFAN is a resource to legislators and policymakers, helping them to think through the vexing challenges of providing optimal care to all Americans. NMQFAN’s mission is to advocate for a transformation of our legacy healthcare finance, research, and delivery systems so that the prime directive of the new system is to reduce patient risk for poor health outcomes while improving the quality of life by assuring optimal care for all.