Rep. Barragán Introduces Bipartisan CARE for Blood Cancer Act to Improve Awareness, Research, and Access to Treatment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 23, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44) introduced the Coordinating Access, Research, and Education for Blood Cancer Act, or the CARE for Blood Cancer Act, bipartisan legislation to establish a National Blood Cancer Program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program would strengthen public awareness, improve health professional training, expand research on diagnostics and treatments, and support individuals and caregivers affected by blood cancer.

Blood cancers account for approximately 10 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States, and someone in the country dies from a blood cancer approximately every nine minutes. Despite their significant impact, blood cancer symptoms can be difficult to recognize, and there is no routine screening method that can universally detect all blood cancers. While advances in treatment have improved outcomes for many patients, barriers to accessing effective care remain.

"Everyone living with blood cancer deserves the opportunity to live a longer, healthier life," said Rep. Barragán. "My sister is a multiple myeloma thriver, so I have seen firsthand how too many patients and families face the challenges of a blood cancer diagnosis without the information, support, and access to care they need. The CARE for Blood Cancer Act is a bipartisan bill that would bring federal agencies together to increase education among both the public and providers, fund more innovative research, and help ensure patients can access the diagnostics and treatments that can make a difference in their lives."

The CARE for Blood Cancer Act would direct HHS to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and other federal agencies to establish a comprehensive national approach to blood cancer education, detection, and treatment.

Specifically, the legislation would:

• Expand public awareness and provider education: Provide grants to state, local, territorial, and Tribal health agencies to increase awareness of blood cancers in the community and health care workforce.
• Improve access to diagnostics and treatments: Provide grants to institutions of higher education and academic medical centers to improve the availability of, and access to, blood cancer diagnostics and treatments.
• Strengthen health professional training: Develop educational materials and programming to help health professionals better detect and treat blood cancers.

"Nearly 1.8 million people in the United States are living with a blood cancer diagnosis," said Gwen Nichols, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Blood Cancer United. "Although we have seen tremendous advancements in treatments and survival rates over the last several decades, there is still so much more to be done to find cures and relieve patients and their families from the burden of blood cancer. Blood Cancer United is proud to support the CARE for Blood Cancer Act, which would put more resources towards educating the public and healthcare providers on how to spot blood cancer earlier and invest in research to improve diagnostics and treatments. We are grateful to Rep. Barragan for her leadership on this issue and dedication to helping blood cancer patients and their families."

"Far too many people living with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers face unnecessary delays in diagnosis and barriers to accessing the care they need," said Heather Cooper Ortner, President and CEO of the International Myeloma Foundation. "These challenges are often compounded for individuals in medically underserved communities, where disparities in access to timely, high-quality care can have profound consequences. The CARE for Blood Cancer Act represents an important step toward closing these gaps by equipping healthcare providers with the knowledge to recognize blood cancers earlier, increasing awareness among those at greatest risk, and helping more patients access timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. We are grateful to Congresswoman Barragán for her leadership and longstanding commitment to improving the lives of people affected by blood cancers. The International Myeloma Foundation is proud to support this important legislation."

Original cosponsors for the bill include: Reps. Jim Costa (CA-21), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Doris Matsui (CA-07), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

The full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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