Grassley, Hassan Take Action to Improve Access to Cancer Screenings

Click HERE for video of Grassley’s remarks from the Senate floor. Click HERE for separate audio of Grassley discussing the legislation. BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Senate Finance Committee members Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced the Standardizing Cancer Recommendations for Earlier Evaluation and Navigation of Screenings (SCREENS) Act to make cancer screening recommendations more accessible, transparent and user friendly for patients and health care providers. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, and Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation. Cancer screenings can increase the chance for earlier treatment and reduce mortality, but screening recommendations are often complex, fragmented and difficult to interpret and navigate. The bipartisan SCREENS Act would simplify and improve the process by establishing a national data and technology framework for cancer screening recommendations, to make these recommendations more accessible, interoperable and effective for providers and patients. “Detecting cancer early can save lives. I know that based on the personal experience of my wife, Barbara, a nearly 40-year breast cancer survivor. Unfortunately, patients and providers are navigating a complex and confusing maze just to keep up with cancer screening recommendations. By making these recommendations more accessible through technology, our SCREENS Act would strengthen cancer care and help save lives. For my home state, this bill would proactively support Iowans by helping providers identify patients who could be overdue for a screening,” Grassley said . “Cancer screenings can identify cancers during the early stages when they are easiest to treat, but patients often do not know when they are due for potentially life-saving screenings,” Hassan said . “This bipartisan bill will help make sure that patients and doctors are informed about federal cancer screening recommendations so that they can catch cancer earlier and get people the treatment that they need. I’m glad to introduce this bill, and I will continue working across the aisle to strengthen preventative care for Granite Staters.” Click HERE for video of Grassley discussing the legislation from the Senate floor. Click HERE for separate audio of Grassley speaking about the bill. Click HERE for text of the legislation and click HERE for a section-by-section. Background: In 2022, the Presidential Cancer Panel recommended the federal government develop a digitally accessible version of the cancer screening and risk assessment guidelines. The SCREENS Act carries out this recommendation and builds on Grassley’s work to improve access to breast cancer screenings, strengthen breast and cervical cancer treatment under Medicaid, and support cancer research. Under the legislation, the national data and technology framework would be publicly available in machine-readable format for use by health information technologies, interoperability tools and patient-facing applications. The legislation would also help providers identify which patients are at risk and overdue for screenings. -30-