Here are six updates on colonoscopies in the U.S. since April 25:
1. The Illinois Senate has unanimously passed a bill that will require insurance companies in the state to cover all colonoscopies deemed medically necessary. Currently, insurers in the state are only required to cover colonoscopies if they are part of a follow-up exam referred by a physician.
2. U.S. News & World Report has released its inaugural list of the best ASCs to undergo a colonoscopy.
3. Gastroenterological cancers, including colorectal cancer, are on the rise across the nation, as the cost of healthcare also continues to rise. The average cost of a colonoscopy in the U.S. sits at around $652 for Medicare patients.
4. New research suggests that patients may be able to wait for longer periods of time in between colonoscopies. The recommended 10-year interval between screening colonoscopies may be safely extended to 15 years in adults with no family history of colorectal cancer whose first colonoscopy is negative.
5. According to a new study, pre- and postoperative colonoscopy care does not increase the risk of periprosthetic joint infection in total joint arthroplasty patients.
6. The demand for colonoscopies in the outpatient setting are skyrocketing, according to Benjamin Levy III, MD, a gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine.