Dear Friends, 

Cancer is the #2 cause of death in the United States, second only to heart disease. In 2022, more than 600,000 Americans lost their lives to cancer, with age remaining the primary risk factor for cancer. Today, seniors account for more than 70% of cancer diagnoses.  

In Congress, I am focused on expanding access to cancer screenings and treatments so patients can detect cancer earlier and overcome this harrowing disease. 

Since we passed the Inflation Reduction Act two years ago, seniors are seeing lower costs on their prescriptions. If drug companies hike the price of a medication faster than the rate of inflation, they now have to pay rebates to Medicare. Starting on July 1st, patients will pay less on 64 drugs covered through Medicare Part B, saving up to $4,593 per dose. More than 750,000 Medicare recipients use these drugs annually, including Padcev, a medication used to treat advanced bladder cancer, and Adectris, a targeted cancer treatment for certain lymphomas. 

On Thursday, I voted to advance the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act out of the Ways and Means Committee, moving the bill to the House floor. This legislation, named after my friend and colleague Rep. Terri Sewell’s late mother, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2021, will allow for Medicare coverage of MCED screenings once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Only 14% of cancers are currently found through screening. These emerging blood-based cancer screenings could catch cancer earlier than ever before. 

Together, we have the power to end cancer as we know it and ensure that everyone has the treatment they need. To follow what I’m working on both in Washington and in Connecticut, visit my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter, or follow me on Instagram.     

Regards,

John B. Larson
Member of Congress