AONN+ Joins Over 300 Organizations in Support of the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act

March 16, 2021

Re: Essential legislation in our battle against cancer

Dear Representatives Sewell, Arrington, Ruiz, and Hudson, and Senators Crapo, Bennet, Cardin, and Scott:

We are writing to convey our support for the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act due to its enormous potential benefits, both human and economic.

Every day, approximately 1,700 Americans die from cancer. That adds up to more than 600,000 of our friends, neighbors, and loved ones perishing from these diseases each year. It is well known that early detection of cancer saves lives, lowers treatment costs and increases quality of life for patients and their families. In fact, the five-year survival rate is almost 90% when cancer is found in its early stages. Yet we still have so many deaths in the United States stemming from late-stage cancer diagnosis—because until now, we have had only a handful of early detection screening tools.

Today, routine screening is reimbursed for only five types of cancer—breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancer (only in high-risk individuals for lung). That leaves the vast majority of cancers without available screening tests and those cases account for nearly three of every four cancer deaths in the United States each year. The data also show that cancer takes a disproportionate toll on communities of color and rural Americans. The imperative is clear: we must expand our ability to screen for and detect more cancers.

We are encouraged by ongoing clinical trials demonstrating that a groundbreaking new category of cancer screening can detect many deadly cancers in earlier stages. These multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests utilize advances in genomic science and computing power to, through a simple blood draw, find cancer before it spreads throughout the body. Peer-reviewed research details the effectiveness of these new technologies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted multiple breakthrough device designations.

As science moves forward, so must health care policy. Currently, Americans most at risk for cancer—Medicare beneficiaries—will face substantial barriers to coverage of multi-cancer early detection tests, even when they are approved by the FDA. Congress has a history of acting to ensure access to cancer screenings, including legislating Medicare coverage of the Pap test, mammography, and colon cancer and prostate cancer screenings, and must act again to ensure seniors don’t face unnecessary access barriers to these transformative new early detection tools.

The Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act responds to the misalignment between advances in science and outdated policy by allowing for Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening. It creates the authority for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to evaluate and cover blood-based multi-cancer early detection tests and future test methods (e.g., urine or hair tests), once approved by the FDA.

Under current law, Medicare coverage of preventive services is limited to circumstances in which Congress has explicitly authorized coverage or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends the service with a grade of A or B. In the absence of this legislation, it could take several years after FDA approval before Medicare beneficiaries can receive coverage for MCED tests. This bill would greatly reduce any such access delays for seniors while allowing CMS to use its evidence-based process to determine coverage. Accordingly, these new multi-cancer screening tools will complement existing screenings and dramatically improve cancer early detection capabilities.

In 2021, America will recognize the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the National Cancer Act, which officially began our nation’s War on Cancer. As we enter the next half-century of combat against the diseases that have brought pain and tragedy to generations of Americans, we are on the precipice of a major scientific advance that may be our best chance of dramatically lowering the number of cancer deaths.

We appreciate your leadership on this legislation to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries, and their health care providers, have access to these transformative new early detection tests.

Sincerely,

Prevent Cancer Foundation
Above + Beyond Cancer
Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN)
AFL-CIO of Delaware
AIDS Alabama
AIDS Delaware
AIDS Response Seacoast
Aim, Accelerate Indiana Municipalities
Alabama Cancer Association
Alabama Regional Medical Services
Alabama Rural Health Association
Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation
Alaska Primary Care Association
Albie Aware Breast Cancer Foundation
Alive & Kickn
Alliance for Aging Research
Alliance for Patient Access
American Arab Chamber of Commerce
American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association
American Behcet's Disease Association
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Life Sciences Innovation Council
American Liver Foundation
American Senior Alliance
Another Brown Face
Applied Pharmacy Solutions
Arkansas Cancer Coalition
Arkansas Nurses Association
Arkansas Rural Health Partnership
Association for Clinical Oncology
Association of American Cancer Institutes
Association of Community Cancer Centers
Atlanta Cancer Care Foundation, Inc.
Avera Health
Bay Area Cancer Connections
Bella Bowman Foundation
Bella's House
Big Bend Cares / Care Point
Bio Nebraska
BioFlorida, Inc.
BioOhio
Bioscience Association of West Virginia
BioUtah
Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska
Brainxcite
Breast Health Collaborative of Texas
Brenda's Brown Bosom Buddies, Inc.
Brookhaven Hospital
California Black Health Network (CBHN)
California Chronic Care Coalition
California Health Collaborative
California Hepatitis C Task Force
California Life Sciences Association
California Women's Law Center
Cancer Action Coalition of Virginia
Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana
Cancer Lifeline
Cancer Support Community
Cancer Support Community Arizona
Cancer Support Community Ohio
CancerCare
Caregiver Action Network
Caring Ambassadors Program, Inc.
Carrie's TOUCH
Cascade AIDS Project
Celma Mastry Ovarian Cancer Foundation
CHC: Creating Healthier Communities
CHPcommunity
Chronic Care Collaborative
Chronic Care Policy Alliance
Chronic Disease Coalition
Clarkston Community Health Center
Coalition of Texans with Disabilities
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging and Health Groups
Colon Cancer Foundation
Colorado BioScience Association
Colorado Cancer Coalition
Colorado Gerontological Society
Colorado State Grange
Colorectal Cancer Alliance
Combined Health Agencies Drive of Nebraska
Community Liver Alliance
Community Oncology Alliance (COA)
Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN)
CURE Childhood Cancer
Delaware Academy of Medicine / Delaware Public Health Association
Delaware BioScience Association
Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition
Delaware Ecumenical Council on Children and Families
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
ElderHelp of San Diego
Fight Colorectal Cancer
Filipino Cancer Network of New England Foundation, Inc.
Florida Academy of Family Physicians
Florida Breast Cancer Foundation
Florida Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, Inc.
Florida Medical Association
Florida Society of Clinical Oncology
Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
Friends of Cancer Research
Friends of Residents in Long Term Care (FOR)
Georgia Bio
Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE)
Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance
Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology
Georgians for a Healthy Future
Gilda's Club Chicago
Gilda's Club Quad Cities
Gilda's Club South Florida
Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest
Glenn Brackett, President, New Hampshire AFL-CIO
Global Liver Institute
GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer
Good Health Ideas Inc. - DBA Colon Cancer Prevention Project
H.E.A.L.S. of the South
Hang Tough Foundation, Inc
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center
Head & Neck Cancer Alliance
Health Council of South Florida
Health Resources in Action
HealthHIV
HealthyWomen
Hemophilia Foundation of Greater Florida, Inc
Hep Free Hawaii
High Ground Veterans Advocacy
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
Hitting Cancer Below the Belt
Hoosier Cancer Research Network
HOPE Network
ICNA Relief USA
Idaho Academy of Family Physicians
Idaho Medical Association
Idaho Senior Living Council
Idaho Society of Clinical Oncology
Idaho Technology Council
Impact NW
Indiana Assisted Living Association
Indiana Cancer Consortium
Indiana Health Industry Forum
Indiana Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Indiana State Grange
Indiana State Nurses Association
Institute for eHealth Equity
International Association of Hepatitis Task Forces
International Cancer Advocacy Network (ICAN)
International Myeloma Foundation
Iowa Biotechnology Association
Iowa Medical Society
Iowa State Grange
It's The Journey
John and Junes Mission, Inc.
JustUs Health
Kansas Society of Clinical Oncology
Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Kelli Leigh Richmond Ovarian Cancer Foundation
Kentucky Access to Care Coalition
Kentucky CancerLink
Kentucky Life Science Council
Kentucky Prostate Cancer Alliance
Korean Women's Association (KWA)
La Maestra Family Clinic, Inc
Ladies Leukemia League
Las Vegas HEALS
Laura Crandall Brown Foundation
Lazarex Cancer Foundation
LeadingAge Indiana
Liver Coalition of San Diego
Looms for Lupus
Louisiana BIO
Louisiana Hemophilia Foundation
Louisiana Oncology Society
Lumber River United Way
LUNGevity
Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
Lupus Foundation New England
Lupus Foundation of Southern California
Maryland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Meals on Wheels Wake County
Medical Alley
Medical Oncology Association of Southern California (MOASC)
Melanoma Research Foundation
Men's Health Network
METAvivor Research and Support, Inc
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
Michigan Biosciences Industry Association (MichBio)
Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council
Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Michigan Osteopathic Association
Minneapolis Regional Chamber
Minnesota Pharmacists Association
Minnesota Rural Health Association
Mississippi Center for Justice
Mississippi Health Alliance
Mississippi Oncology Society
Mississippi Public Health Association
Mississippi Rural Health Association
Missouri Cures
Montana BioScience Alliance
Montana State Oncology Society
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation Inc
National Alliance for Hispanic Health
National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs
National Association of Social Workers North Carolina
National Black Nurses Association
National Caucus & Center on Black Aging
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
National Consumers League
National Grange
National Kidney Foundation
National Minority Quality Forum
National Oncology State Network (NOSN)
National Pancreas Foundation
National Patient Advocate Foundation
Nebraska AIDS Project
Nebraska Cancer Coalition
Nebraska Rural Health Association
Nebraska State Grange
Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers
Nevada Cancer Coalition
Nevada Chronic Care Collaborative
New England Rural Health Association
New Generations Adult Day Centers
New Hampshire Nurses Association
New Hampshire State Grange
New Jersey State Grange
New Mexico Biotechnology & Biomedical Association
New York State Grange
North Carolina Biosciences Organization
North Carolina Psychological Association
North Carolina State Grange
North Dakota Nurses Association
Ohio Hematology Oncology Society
Oklahoma Bioscience Association
Oklahoma Nurses Association
Old North State Medical Foundation
Oncology Managers of Florida
Oncology Nursing Society
Oregon Latino Health Coalition
Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Alabama
Patient Empowerment Network
Pennsylvania State Grange
Potomac Grange
Prostate Conditions Education Council
Prostate Health Education Network
Prostate Network
Raleigh Chamber of Commerce
Rare New England
Regarding Cancer
Retired Public Employees of Nevada
Rich Mauti Cancer Fund
Rural Health Medical Program, Inc.
Rush to Live
Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce
Saginaw County Chamber of Commerce
San Francisco Women's Cancer Network
Sanford Health
SCBIO
Scleroderma Foundation
Serving Seniors
Sister's Network
South Carolina Cancer Alliance
South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus
South Dakota Biotech
South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Southeast Wisconsin Oncology Nursing Society
Stand Up To Cancer
State Grange of Minnesota
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
SURVIVEiT
Survivors CAN!
Susan G. Komen
Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute
Texas Rural Health Association
The Cancer Challenge
The Kim Foundation
The Max Foundation
The Wall Las Memorias Project
Touro University Nevada
Triage Cancer
Twisted Pink
UCS Healthcare
United for Charitable Assistance
United Partners for Human Services
Urban League of Portland
Us TOO International
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Vasculitis Foundation
Ventura County Hematology Oncology Specialists
Vets Place Northwest – Welcome Home
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation
Visiting Nurse Association
Washington Student Cancer Awareness Association
West Central Georgia Cancer Coalition
Western States Cancer Research NCORP
Wisconsin Association of Hematology and Oncology (WAHO)
Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
Wisconsin Nurses Association
Wisconsin State Grange
Women's Institute for Secure Retirement
Wyoming Nurses Association
Wyoming State Oncology Society