S. 5554 — Ovarian Cancer IMPACT Act

This section states congressional findings that ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest gynecologic cancers, frequently diagnosed late, with persistent disparities in access to genetic counseling, testing, and specialty care in rural and underserved communities. It notes the role of hereditary syndromes such as Lynch syndrome, the value of evidence-based genetic services for treatment and family risk assessment, and the need for expanded public education and provider awareness.

This section reauthorizes and expands Johanna’s Law, the national campaign on gynecologic cancer awareness. It requires the Secretary to coordinate activities with the Health Resources and Services Administration and the National Cancer Institute. It adds enhanced outreach requirements, including culturally and linguistically appropriate materials and targeted activities for populations at elevated risk based on race, ethnicity, hereditary syndromes such as Lynch syndrome, rural residence, or medically underserved status; promotion of genetic counseling, testing, and risk-reducing interventions; and dissemination of evidence-based guidelines and information on strategies such as opportunistic salpingectomy. It establishes demonstration projects to test outreach strategies, with preference for entities serving rural, underserved, or high-risk populations, and requires reports to Congress on outcomes and best practices. It authorizes $20 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

This section expands rural health care services outreach grants to include ovarian cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship services, hereditary cancer risk assessment, genetic counseling, and care coordination. It also extends eligibility for those grants to Tribal communities. It adds ovarian cancer to the conditions addressed under the expanding capacity for health outcomes program.

This section requires group health plans and issuers of group or individual health insurance coverage to cover genetic counseling, multi-gene panel germline testing (including BRCA1, BRCA2, and Lynch syndrome mutations), tumor genomic profiling, and evidence-based early detection and risk-reducing interventions for ovarian cancer for enrollees with a personal history of ovarian or endometrial cancer or a qualifying family history. It applies these requirements to grandfathered plans, directs the Secretary to support provider education on the guidelines, and requires evaluation of utilization and access in rural and underserved areas.

This section requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit to Congress, within 180 days of enactment, an implementation plan with timelines, agency responsibilities, and performance benchmarks for the Act's amendments. It also requires the Secretary to submit reports every three years beginning three years after enactment and continuing through fiscal year 2032 that cover implementation activities, utilization of genetic counseling and testing services and risk-reducing interventions, progress improving access to ovarian cancer care in rural and medically underserved communities, and recommendations for further action.