NATIONAL GRANGE NEWS
National Grange Issues Statement Supporting Passage of the MCED Act, Historic Policy to Help Close the Rural Health Gaps in Cancer
“We are urgently calling on all lawmakers to vote yes on rural health.”
The National Grange, the nation’s oldest rural advocacy and service organization, today issued the following statements urging swift congressional passage of the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 842/S. 339).
For several years, the National Grange has advocated for Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) screenings for all Americans.
“For rural communities, early detection is not a convenience; it is a lifeline,” said National Grange President Christine E. Hamp. “With early detection, we can give rural Americans more time, better outcomes, and a fighting chance – regardless of ZIP code.”
“Cancer’s impact on rural Americans is immense and complex. Detecting cancer early poses unique challenges for these communities as screenings often require access to specialty health facilities, which can be few and far between in rural America. Multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests will play an important role in reducing rural cancer disparities because they use simple blood tests to find more cancers earlier, ultimately leading to better outcomes,” said Burton Eller, Legislative Director. “For this reason, we have long advocated for the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 842/S. 339) and could not be more thrilled to see Congressional champions bringing this bill to the floor and driving access to cancer detection. This bill represents an enormous step forward in closing the health gaps in cancer for rural Americans. We are proud to stand with leaders in Congress to help advance this bill into law, and we are urgently calling on all lawmakers to vote yes on rural health.”
The National Grange has long been an advocate for equitable access to healthcare in rural America. The Grange’s grassroots policy process ensures that the voice of rural and small-town America is being heard in legislatures nationwide.
Learn more about the Grange’s work in identifying the cancer health gaps for rural communities online here.