13th District Congressman, Rodney Davis, has helped introduce a reform to Medicare to help remove barriers for colorectal cancer screening. Davis, earlier this month, helped to unanimously pass House Resolution 1570, which will allow diagnostic screenings and treatment couple billing for Medicare patients: “We have been advocating for ensuring that anyone going to get a colonoscopy. What’s frustrating right now with Medicare; Medicare right now if somebody wants to go get a diagnostic colonoscopy that’s paid for. It’s completely a screening method, and all of a sudden now, if a polyp was found or a tumor was found then that patient would get billed separately for the treatment that is needed after that. We’re trying to make sure that it’s a holistic approach. That people aren’t billed because they actually have the disease or have a precursor to the disease because that’s going to discourage people from getting screened, so our bill would allow families to, under that same diagnostic test, be able to cut polyps off or biopsy a tumor that may be in the colon at the same time for the same cost.”
Davis says that helping in the fight against cancer is personal for him, as his wife was treated for and diagnosed with colon cancer due to Lynch syndrome 21 years ago. Davis says by cutting the multiple costs down for Medicare patients, more people will be able to receive life-saving treatment and diagnostic tests.
Additionally, the bill says manufactures of covered drugs that do not have rebate agreements under the program, including average sales price, total units, and wholesale acquisition cost. Manufacturers that fail to comply or report false information are subject to civil penalties.
The bill was received in the Senate on December 10th and is currently under referral in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.