On World Cancer Day, Rep. Sewell Celebrates Signing of the Nancy Gardner Sewell Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act

Washington D.C. - Today, on World Cancer Day, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) celebrated the signing of H.R. 842, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act, into law. The legislation-which will expand access to early detection cancer screenings for America's seniors-cleared both chambers of Congress as a part of the revised Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package and was signed by President Trump Tuesday evening.

Watch Rep. Sewell's video message here.

"It's official! On this World Cancer Day, I'm excited to announce that the Nancy Gardner Sewell Multi-Cancer Early Detection Act has been signed into law," celebrated Rep. Sewell. "I join millions of Americans in celebrating this historic victory which will help transform the way we detect, diagnose, and treat cancer for seniors all across America. We did it, Mommy."

Currently, 70% of cancer deaths occur from cancers with no screening. However, thanks to cutting-edge scientific advancements, new MCED screenings are emerging which hold the potential to detect dozens of forms of cancer with a simple blood test. Before this law was enacted, it could have taken more than a decade for Medicare to cover MCED screenings following FDA approval. The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare MCED Screening Coverage Act creates a pathway for Medicare to cover MCED screenings once FDA approved.

Specifically, this legislation:

• Creates the authority for CMS to cover blood-based MCED tests and future test methods once approved by the FDA and shown to have clinical benefit.
• Maintains CMS' authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests.
• Clarifies that (1) these new tools will complement, not replace, existing screenings and coverage and (2) cost sharing will not be impacted.

In the 118th Congress, the bill's lead Republican sponsor, Rep. Jodey Arrington, surprised Rep. Sewell by naming it after her mother, the late Nancy Gardner Sewell, who lost her battle to pancreatic cancer in June 2021. Prior to its passage, the Nancy Gardner Sewell MCED Screening Coverage Act was the most co-sponsored bill in the 119th Congress, with 339 House co-sponsors and 68 Senate co-sponsors.

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