Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to improve access to molecular diagnostic testing for rare cancer patients.
Named the Finn Sawyer Access to Cancer Testing Act, Rep. Bilirakis's legislation specifically allows cancer patients on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to receive molecular testing at first diagnosis rather than for current or metastatic forms of cancer.
As Yale Medicine explained, Molecular testing analyzes DNA or RNA sequences to diagnose diseases, especially those resulting from inherited or acquired gene mutations.
Finn Sawyer was a young boy diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of cancer affecting soft tissue and bone, but he never received molecular testing that could have offered treatment solutions. As a result, the boy died before his fourth birthday.
Hence, the Finn Sawyer Access to Cancer Testing Act mandates that molecular diagnostic testing be offered to cancer patients upon first diagnosis and creates an education and awareness program about genetic testing.
In his press release, Rep. Bilirakis said, "The targeted reforms in our bipartisan, bicameral bill will have a meaningful impact on accelerating the development of treatments for rare cancers and will remove bureaucratic hurdles that currently keep cancer patients from accessing diagnostic screening and effective treatments by qualified specialists. Every cancer patient deserves the best chance of survival, and we must create a streamlined regulatory system and payment model to realize this important goal. Our bipartisan legislation will provide hope to millions of patients and families battling cancer and will lead to improved patient outcomes."
Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA), the bill's cosponsor in the House, added, "At a time when health care coverage is under threat and essential programs like Medicaid face potentially massive cuts, ensuring access to essential services is more crucial than ever. For the thousands of Americans with rare cancers, accurate diagnosis is lifesaving. Molecular diagnostics play a key role in delivering targeted therapies swiftly, potentially improving outcomes for all cancer patients. That's why I'm proud to co-author the Finn Sawyer Access to Cancer Testing Act."
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) sponsored the bill in the Senate.
