Cancer doesn't wait, and neither can we.
Congress is back in session and has just weeks to pass a year-end package that prioritizes the fight against cancer. To make real progress against cancer, Congress must pass a legislative package that:
- Increases funding for effective prevention and supports research for cancers where we still don't have answers. This funding is essential for breakthroughs in both prevention and treatment.
- Increase access to groundbreaking early detection tests for Medicare beneficiaries by passing the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act. This bill would create a pathway for Medicare to cover new, innovative tests that can screen for dozens of cancers with a single test. These tests, once approved by the FDA and proven to offer clinical benefits, could save thousands of lives by detecting cancers early.
- Pass the SCREENS for Cancer Act, which would improve access to critical breast and cervical cancer screenings for people who need them most.
Sign now and tell Congress to pass this lifesaving legislative package to prioritize the fight against cancer!As a constituent and volunteer with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), I am writing now to urge you to fight cancer and make time for those impacted by cancer during the lame-duck session of Congress.
Now is the time to prioritize cancer policy. We need Congress to fund what we know works, fund research for new treatment options, and create a pathway for access to innovative early detection tests.
Specifically, I am asking you to include three things in year-end legislation:
First, please pass the highest possible funding increase for lifesaving cancer research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) and cancer prevention programs at the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC). A record-breaking two million people in America will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and many cancers are on the rise in younger people. The need to increase research funding has never been greater.
Second, I urge you to pass increased access to innovative cancer detection in Medicare by passing the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 2407/S. 2085). These groundbreaking new tests can save lives by detecting cancer with a simple blood test. The MCED Screening Coverage Act lays the groundwork for Medicare to cover these tests once they are FDA-approved and shown to have clinical benefit. As the most cosponsored health-related bill in the 118th Congress, the time is now to pass MCED.
Finally, please pass the SCREENS for Cancer Act (H.R. 3916 / S. 1840) to reauthorize the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Screening Program and increase access to lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings for people who need it most.
By passing these three cancer priorities by the end of 2024, the 118th Congress can help get us closer to ending cancer as we know it, for everyone.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[your name]
