II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 668 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive coinsurance under 

Medicare for colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whether 

therapeutic intervention is required during the screening. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 6, 2019 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. WICKER, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. COLLINS, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BOOZMAN, 

Mr. CASEY, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. COONS, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. COTTON, 

Mr. CRAMER, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. HIRONO, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. JONES, Mr. 

KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

MERKLEY, Mr. PETERS, Mr. REED, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. 

SINEMA, Ms. SMITH, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. 

UDALL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, and Mrs. BLACKBURN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive 

coinsurance under Medicare for colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whether therapeutic intervention 

is required during the screening. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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•S 668 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Removing Barriers to 

3 Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2019’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Colorectal cancer is the second leading 

7 cause of cancer death among men and women com8 bined in the United States. 

9 (2) In 2019, more than 145,600 Americans will 

10 be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and approxi11 mately 51,000 Americans will die from it. 

12 (3) Approximately 60 percent of colorectal can13 cer cases and 70 percent of deaths occur in those 

14 aged 65 and older. 

15 (4) Colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy al16 lows for the detection and removal of polyps, or ab17 normal growths, that could become cancerous, as 

18 well as for the early detection of colorectal cancer 

19 when treatment can be most effective. 

20 (5) Although colorectal cancer is largely pre21 ventable, one in three adults over the age of 50 are 

22 not up to date with recommended colorectal cancer 

23 screening. 

24 (6) Over 1,700 organizations have committed to 

25 eliminating colorectal cancer as a major public 

26 health problem and are working toward the shared 


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•S 668 IS

1 goal of reaching 80 percent screened for colorectal 

2 cancer in every community. 

3 (7) Colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy is a 

4 highly effective preventive service, and removing fi5 nancial barriers can help to increase screening rates. 

6 SEC. 3. WAIVING MEDICARE COINSURANCE FOR 

7 COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING TESTS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1833(a)(1)(Y) of the So9 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)(Y)) is amended 

10 by inserting ‘‘, including a colorectal cancer screening test 

11 (regardless of the code that is billed for the establishment 

12 of a diagnosis as a result of the test, or for the removal 

13 of tissue or other procedure that is furnished in connection 

14 with, as a result of, and in the same clinical encounter 

15 as the screening test),’’ after ‘‘section 1861(ddd)(3)’’. 

16 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

17 this section shall apply to items and services furnished 

18 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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