Representative Charlie Dent

Legislation was introduced in Congress today that will correct an oversight to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires Medicare beneficiaries to pay coinsurance when their screening colonoscopy also involves the removal of a polyp or cancer. When a screening colonoscopy turns therapeutic, the cost to the Medicare patient is significant – $100 to $300 – and it could serve as a deterrent to screening.

The legislation, Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2012 (H.R. 4120), was introduced by Rep. Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania.

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This critical legislation will ensure that even in tight fiscal times, funding for life-saving federal colorectal cancer research programs can be sustained.

Since President Clinton issued the first Presidential Proclamation recognizing March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month over a decade ago, much progress has been made in the fight against colorectal cancer. Thanks to federally funded research, treatment options for colorectal have expanded to seven drugs, and more precise surgery and radiation.

But despite the research advances we have seen, colorectal cancer still affects far too many American families. Every three and a half minutes, someone is diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Every nine minutes, someone dies from colorectal cancer.

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