The New England Council recently hosted a forum in Boston exploring some of the incredible innovations in our region focused on the early detection of diseases. We heard about some of the remarkable advances in technology that are enabling earlier detection of everything from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. From our keynote speaker, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and our panel of experts from the business and medical communities, we learned how some of these groundbreaking innovations are not only saving lives but also having a significant economic impact by minimizing long-term healthcare costs and alleviating strain on our beleaguered healthcare system.
A key focus of the discussion was on how federal policy can continue to foster innovation in this area and ensure that every American has access to early-detection tools.
On that front, there was some good news, as Congress has taken steps in recent months to advance policies that will expand access to these tools. Earlier this year, as part of the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill, Congress enacted the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act, which will allow Medicare – beginning in 2028 – to cover multi-cancer early-detection tests in a timely manner following Food and Drug Administration approval and evidence of clinical benefit. Currently, most vulnerable patients could face a yearslong wait to access the latest innovations in cancer detection. The New England Council proudly endorsed this bipartisan legislation and is grateful to the many members of the New England delegation who cosponsored the proposal.
In more good news, bipartisan legislation has been introduced to expand access to similar testing aimed at early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Last fall, leaders in both the House and Senate introduced the Alzheimer’s Screening and Detection Act, which would create a pathway for Medicare coverage of FDA-approved blood biomarker screening tests that help detect Alzheimer’s and other dementias. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, if passed, this bill will not only improve patient care but also help facilitate smoother transitions from primary care to specialists – reducing the burden on overextended healthcare workers and helping to alleviate bottlenecks in the healthcare system.
However, as we learned from the discussion, there are also a number of potential roadblocks to early detection of disease. One of those roadblocks is a lack of access to screening, which has been exacerbated by two recent developments at the federal level: Medicaid cuts enacted under last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies at the end of 2025. These developments will undoubtedly result in millions of Americans losing coverage and losing access not just to some of the advanced testing discussed here but also to routine screenings such as mammograms, Pap smears and colonoscopies.
A second threat to early detection is potential cuts to federally funded research from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. As home to some of the world’s premier medical and scientific research institutions, New England is the recipient of billions of dollars of federal research funding that has supported the development of new early-detection technologies, as well as lifesaving new treatments. In recent years, this funding has repeatedly been on the cutting block, which threatens to slow down the groundbreaking research that is saving lives each and every day. Indeed, President Donald Trump’s recently released fiscal 2027 budget proposes some $5 billion in cuts to NIH funding.
The takeaway message is loud and clear: Early detection saves lives and saves money. Much progress has been made, but we cannot afford to take our foot off the gas pedal. As Representative McGovern said in his keynote remarks, “We’re lucky to live in the most scientifically advanced time in the history of the world. … We’re lucky to live in New England, one of the most research-rich regions anywhere in the world.” So let’s not squander that good fortune and keep supporting the innovation that will detect diseases and save lives.
James T. Brett is the CEO and president of The New England Council, a regional alliance of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and health and educational institutions supporting economic growth and quality of life in New England.
