I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1655 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage under 

the Medicare program for FDA-approved qualifying colorectal cancer 

screening blood-based tests, to increase participation in colorectal cancer 

screening in under-screened communities of color, to offset the COVID19 pandemic driven declines in colorectal cancer screening, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2021 

Mr. PAYNE (for himself, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. 

MCEACHIN, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. TORRES of New York, 

Ms. BASS, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. PERRY, 

Mr. MEEKS, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 

ADAMS, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. TRONE, 

Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. SIRES, Mr. RUSH, Ms. NORTON, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 

BROWN, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. CARSON, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. 

MCKINLEY, Mr. JEFFRIES, Ms. PLASKETT, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. BLUNT

ROCHESTER, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Mr. ALLRED, and Mrs. DEMINGS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

coverage under the Medicare program for FDA-approved 

qualifying colorectal cancer screening blood-based tests, 


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to increase participation in colorectal cancer screening 

in under-screened communities of color, to offset the 

COVID-19 pandemic driven declines in colorectal cancer 

screening, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Donald Payne Sr. 

5 Colorectal Cancer Detection Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR FDA-APPROVED QUALI7 FYING COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING 

8 BLOOD-BASED TESTS. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(pp) of the Social Se10 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(pp)) is amended— 

11 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

12 (A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 

13 subparagraph (E); and 

14 (B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) 

15 the following new subparagraph: 

16 ‘‘(D) Qualifying colorectal cancer screening 

17 blood-based test.’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

19 paragraph: 

20 ‘‘(3) The term ‘qualifying colorectal cancer screening 

21 blood-based test’ means, with respect to a year, a screen22 ing blood-based test for the early detection of colorectal 


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1 cancer furnished in the year that was marketed or used, 

2 as applicable, in accordance with the relevant provisions 

3 of section 353 of the Public Health Service Act or the 

4 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act more than 6 

5 months before the beginning of the year.’’. 

6 (b) FREQUENCY LIMITS FOR COLORECTAL CANCER

7 SCREENING TESTS AND PAYMENT AMOUNT FOR QUALI8 FYING COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING BLOOD-BASED

9 TESTS.—Section 1834(d) of the Social Security Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 1395m(d)) is amended— 

11 (1) by amending clause (ii) of paragraph (1)(B) 

12 to read as follows: 

13 ‘‘(ii) if the test is performed within— 

14 ‘‘(I) the 11 months after a pre15 vious screening fecal-occult blood test 

16 or a previous qualifying colorectal 

17 cancer screening blood-based test; 

18 ‘‘(II) the 35 months after a pre19 vious screening flexible sigmoidoscopy 

20 or a previous screening colonoscopy 

21 with adenoma findings; 

22 ‘‘(III) the 59 months after a pre23 vious screening colonoscopy with small 

24 polyp findings; or 


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1 ‘‘(IV) the 119 months after a 

2 previous screening colonoscopy with3 out adenoma findings or small polyp 

4 findings.’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (2)(E)(ii), by inserting ‘‘or 

6 within the 35 months after a previous screening 

7 fecal-occult blood test or previous qualifying 

8 colorectal cancer screening blood-based test’’ after 

9 ‘‘sigmoidoscopy’’; 

10 (3) by amending subparagraph (E) of para11 graph (3) to read as follows: 

12 ‘‘(E) FREQUENCY LIMIT.—No payment 

13 may be made under this part for a colorectal 

14 cancer screening test consisting of a screening 

15 colonoscopy— 

16 ‘‘(i) if the procedure is performed 

17 within the 11 months after a previous 

18 screening fecal-occult blood test or previous 

19 qualifying colorectal cancer screening 

20 blood-based test; 

21 ‘‘(ii) for individuals at high risk for 

22 colorectal cancer if the procedure is per23 formed within the 23 months after a pre24 vious screening colonoscopy; or 


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1 ‘‘(iii) for individuals not at high risk 

2 for colorectal cancer if the procedure is 

3 performed within the 119 months after a 

4 previous screening colonoscopy or within 

5 the 47 months after a previous screening 

6 flexible sigmoidoscopy.’’; and 

7 (4) by adding at the end the following new 

8 paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(4) QUALIFYING COLORECTAL CANCER

10 SCREENING BLOOD-BASED TESTS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) PAYMENT AMOUNT.—The payment 

12 amount for colorectal cancer screening tests 

13 consisting of qualifying colorectal cancer screen14 ing blood-based tests shall be established by the 

15 Secretary. 

16 ‘‘(B) FREQUENCY LIMIT.—Paragraph 

17 (1)(B) shall apply to colorectal cancer screening 

18 tests consisting of qualifying colorectal cancer 

19 screening blood-based tests in the same manner 

20 as such paragraph applies to colorectal cancer 

21 screening tests consisting of fecal-occult blood 

22 tests.’’. 

23 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

24 this section shall apply to colorectal cancer screening tests 


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1 furnished in a year beginning more than 6 months after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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