,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bcdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ae1 #bjad
 ,mr4 ,brown introduced the following   
bill2 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 tests1 regardless of whether  
therapeutic intervention is required    
during the screening4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the ,removing
 ,barriers to ,colorectal ,cancer       
,screening ,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,findings
 ,congress finds the following3  7#a7   
,colorectal cancer is the third leading 
cause of cancer death among men and     
women in the ,united ,states1 killing   
more non-smokers than any other cancer4 
7#b7 ,every year1 approximately #adj1jjj
 ,americans are diagnosed with          
colorectal cancer and more than #ej1jjj 
,americans will die from it4  7#c7      
,approximately #fj percent of colorectal

 cancer cases and #gj percent of deaths 
occur in those aged #fe and older4  7#d7
 ,colorectal cancer screening           
colonoscopy allows for the detection and
 removal of polyps1 or abnormal growths1
 that could become cancerous1 as well as
 for the early detection of colorectal  
cancer when treatment can be most       
effective4  7#e7 ,although colorectal   
cancer is largely preventable1 one in   
three adults between the recommended    
screening ages of #ej and #ge are not up
 to date with colorectal cancer         
screening4  7#f7 ,dozens of             
organizations have committed to         
eliminating colorectal cancer as a major
 public health problem and are working  
toward the shared goal of reaching #hj  
percent screened for colorectal cancer  
by #bjah4  7#g7 ,colorectal cancer      
screening colonoscopy is a highly       
effective preventive service1 and       
removing financial barriers can help to 
increase screening rates4  #c4 ,waiving 
,medicare coinsurance for colorectal    

cancer screening tests  7a7 ,in general 
,section #ahcc7;a77#a77,y7 of the       
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciel7a77#a77,y77 is amended by        
inserting 1 including a colorectal      
cancer screening test 7regardless of the
 code that is billed for the            
establishment of a diagnosis as a result
 of the test1 or for the removal of     
tissue or other procedure that is       
furnished in connection with1 as a      
result of1 and in the same clinical     
encounter as the screening test71 after 
section #ahfa7;ddd77#c74  7b7 ,effective
 date ,the amendment made by subsection 
7a7 shall apply to items and services   
furnished after the date of the         
enactment of this ,act4