WASHINGTON – Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, introduced the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act (H.R. 6693) to help ensure timely access to advanced screenings for lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., accounting for nearly one out of every five cancer deaths. Tragically, more than 80 percent of people with lung cancer die within five years of diagnosis, and more than half within the first year.
As with many forms of cancer, lung cancer can be highly treatable if detected at an early stage and before it has spread. In fact, according to the University of Florida Health, “catching the disease in its earliest stages can have a striking effect.” For example, early detection through screening can increase the 5-year survival rate for stage I lung cancer to nearly 90 percent. Unfortunately, only about five percent of those recommended for screening get tested for lung cancer.
Under current law, lung cancer screening tests must be approved by both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an unelected board of 16 volunteers which adds layers of unnecessary bureaucratic red tape before the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) may even consider them for coverage. Unfortunately, the current USPSTF review process is also highly cumbersome and can take up to five years, preventing new and potentially life-saving screenings from expeditiously coming to the market.
“The federal government should make it easier for seniors to access crucial life-saving lung cancer screenings and not unreasonably hinder these tests from becoming available for use,” said Congressman Buchanan. “Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape has too often stifled innovation, unreasonably delaying access to advanced testing.”
Buchanan’s bill has been endorsed by a wide range of leading associations and top cancer hospitals across the country, including the Moffit Cancer Center, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), Prevent Cancer Foundation, LUNGevity Foundation, Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and DELFI Diagnostics. A complete list of supporting associations and cancer hospitals is attached.
“Lung cancer claims more lives than any other form of cancer. In fact, it claims more lives annually than breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined,” said Dr. Jhanelle Gray, Chair of the Department of Thoracic Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center. “But we can change this by improving access to early detection and preventative care. Once the evidence is ready for review, the CMS National Coverage Determination process currently in place is sufficient to ensure that the test is ready for patients to benefit. The Lung Screening and Prevention Act would help ensure that new screening and early detection approaches can become widely accessible without undue delay, once they are proven effective.”
To help expedite the approval process, Buchanan’s Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act gives CMS the flexibility to cover new tests already approved by the FDA without having to wait for the board to evaluate the tests.
Currently, only five percent of those who are recommended for testing, (those between the ages of 50-80, have 20 pack-per-year smoking history, AND are a current smoker, or have quit within the last 15 years) actually get screened for lung cancer. By allowing CMS to cover lung cancer screenings without first requiring a lengthy USPSTF review, the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act would help several new tests currently being developed become available and contribute to earlier detection of lung cancer.
Original cosponsors of this legislation include Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-IN), and Congresswoman Michelle Steel (R-CA).
“As a Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus, I am proud to co-lead the Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act, a crucial step in our fight against lung cancer,” said Congressman Kilmer. “This bill not only enhances screening accessibility for high-risk groups but also represents our commitment to innovative health care solutions. Early detection is key, and this bipartisan legislation ensures that more Americans have access to life-saving screenings. Together, we’re making strides towards a healthier future for all Americans.”
“It is more important than ever that Medicare invest in cancer prevention, signaling affirmation that it cares about the well-being of patients,” said Congressman Bucshon. “By championing preventive measures, the Lung Cancer Screening and Improvement Act would help diagnose lung cancer earlier and pave the way for Medicare coverage of new forms of detection technology. I’m honored to help lead this legislation and remain committed to finding common-sense solutions to support both cancer treatment and cancer prevention.”
“I am proud to join Rep. Buchanan in introducing this commonsense legislation,” said Congresswoman Steel. “It is critical that seniors are able to identify lung cancer as quickly as possible and as often as necessary. Government bureaucracy should never stand in the way of saving lives and I’m proud to co-lead a bipartisan bill that will improve access to cancer screening.”
According to a recent study by The American Lung Association, lung cancer screening adds 80,000 years of life for people in the U.S. and saves the U.S. economy $40 million. If everyone who was eligible to get screened did so, it would add 500,000 years of life and save the nation $500 million.
Last week, Congressman Buchanan’s legislation to make it easier for Seniors to access groundbreaking treatments passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee also recently passed another bill Buchanan helped introduce, the Supporting Innovation for Seniors Act (H.R. 5388). This legislation would expand flexibility for Medicare Advantage plans to cover innovative products beyond what traditional Medicare offers.
In addition to being the Vice Chairman and most senior Republican on the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan is also the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, which has broad jurisdiction over traditional Medicare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, and Medicare Advantage.
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- Lung Cancer Screening Act.pdf (210.5 KBs)
