Medicare Will Cover 100% of Colorectal Cancer Screenings Starting 2026 Under New Act

The Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act is pretty straightforward: it aims to make it cheaper—eventually free—for Medicare beneficiaries to get screened for colorectal cancer. If you’re on Medicare, this bill is designed to remove a major financial speed bump that keeps people from getting necessary preventative care.

The Coinsurance Countdown: Zeroing Out Costs

Right now, when you get certain preventative screenings under Medicare, you often still have to pay a small percentage of the cost, known as coinsurance. This bill, specifically in Section 2, gets rid of that coinsurance requirement for specific colorectal cancer screening tests. The real kicker is how quickly it phases out the remaining patient cost-sharing. Previously, the plan to eliminate patient costs was slower. This Act accelerates the timeline so that Medicare patients will receive 100% coverage—meaning zero out-of-pocket cost for the patient—for these tests starting in 2026 and continuing through at least January 1, 2030.

Think about it this way: if you’re a retired teacher or a construction worker on Medicare, a few hundred dollars in coinsurance might be enough to make you put off a screening, especially if you’re already juggling fixed income and rising costs. This legislation removes that barrier entirely. The goal is simple: if you remove the cost, more people will get screened, and earlier detection saves lives and lowers long-term healthcare costs for everyone.

Who Pays the Difference?

This change shifts the financial burden entirely back to the Medicare program, which means taxpayers ultimately cover the cost. While this is great news for the individual patient—who now pays nothing for the test—it does mean the Medicare program will face potentially higher short-term costs as utilization increases. It also slightly adjusts the payment schedule for providers who bill for these services under Section 1833(dd) of the Social Security Act, ensuring they are paid appropriately even though the patient’s share is eliminated. For healthcare providers, the main change is simply who is sending the check; the revenue stream shifts from patient co-pay to full Medicare reimbursement.

Why This Matters in the Real World

Colorectal cancer is highly treatable when caught early. For a 55-year-old small business owner planning their retirement, or a 68-year-old grandparent managing chronic conditions, this bill means one less financial calculation when deciding whether to schedule a preventative procedure. It’s a clear win for healthcare access, directly tackling the financial friction that often delays essential screenings. The bill is laser-focused on making sure that when your doctor recommends a screening, the answer isn't “I can’t afford it,” but simply, “When can I schedule it?”