A bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) to provide for Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) screening tests passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 22 as part of a larger appropriations package and now heads to the U.S. Senate for action.
The House voted 341-88 to advance the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, H.R. 7148, which includes the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, H.R. 842, which Rep. Arrington sponsored in January 2025 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL).
“I’m proud to announce, alongside my friend Rep. Terri Sewell, that the House just passed our bill… which is one of the most consequential and widely supported accomplishments in the fight against cancer in decades,” Rep. Arrington said. “This critical legislation will give seniors access to groundbreaking innovation, which will transform how we detect, diagnose, and treat cancer, saving lives and improving outcomes through the power of early detection.”
If enacted, H.R. 842 would increase seniors’ timely access to MCED technology by creating a pathway to Medicare coverage once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The legislation would create the authority for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to cover blood-based MCED tests and future test methods once approved by the FDA and shown to have clinical benefit.
The bill also would maintain CMS’ authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests, and clarify that the new tools would complement, not replace, existing screenings and coverage and cost sharing would not be impacted, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Arrington’s office.
The congressman said he named the bill in honor of Rep. Sewell’s mother, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2021.