Federal agencies would publish cancer screening guidance for health technology

The National Coordinator would establish a national framework for cancer screening recommendations. The framework would use factors such as age, sex, and high-risk factors to guide cancer screening recommendations. The framework would follow recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Cancer Institute. The recommendations would be publicly available in a format health technology can use and would work with either mCODE or USCDI data standards. The work would have to follow privacy laws; the bill would not permit unauthorized use or disclosure of identifiable health information. The framework would be due within one year after enactment and updated each year.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services would require screening tools as a condition of health technology certification. The condition would apply to health technology programs maintained or recognized under the federal certification program. The tools would show whether a patient has completed recommended cancer screenings. The Secretary would set the condition through a public rulemaking process. The tools would use only the patient data needed, explain how the data is used, and let patients review and ask to correct their health information. The Secretary would have to set this certification condition within five years after enactment.

The Health and Human Services Secretary would issue guidance encouraging certain health plans to use screening technology and let consumers opt in to certified electronic health records with screening tools. Covered plans include Medicaid managed care plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and qualified health plans offered through Affordable Care Act exchanges. The guidance would encourage health plans to take these steps; it would not require them to do so. The guidance would be due within two years after enactment.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute could support research and projects that use connected health technology to put preventive care recommendations into practice. The work would aim to improve patient-centered health outcomes through interoperable health technology. Supported work could include cancer screening tools, aids for making care decisions, and tools to find people who may qualify for preventive services or research.