House Subcommittee Hearing Discusses Legislation Related to Medical Screening Tests and Services Access

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing Thursday to discuss legislation related to breakthrough medical technology access and Medicare local coverage determinations.

Bills discussed during the hearing included the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 842) and a bill “to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure transparency in the national coverage determination (NCD) process under the Medicare program and to make certain adjustments to Medicare local coverage determinations (LCDs).”

According to the hearing memo, H.R. 842 “would allow for Medicare coverage of, and payment for, [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] cleared or approved multi-cancer early detection … screening tests.”

Additionally, the legislation intended to ensure transparency in the national coverage determination process for Medicare “would require the [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] Secretary to determine whether a request for an NCD is complete within 90 days of receiving the request … and would direct the Secretary to require that [Medicare Administrative Contractors] not develop any LCDs that conflict with any law, regulation, NCD, payment policy, or coding policy.”

“These policies are essential to reducing regulatory barriers to help patients get access to care, while also bringing more transparency into the coverage process,” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.),  chairman for the subcommittee on health, said in his opening statement.

Sources:

https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/09_18_2025_HE_Hearing_Memorandum_c5b0d72f9b.pdf

https://energycommerce.house.gov/events/health-subcommittee-examining-policies-to-enhance-seniors-access-to-breakthrough-medical-technologies