Although the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends colorectal cancer screening for all people between the ages of 50 and 75, a 2013 CDC report notes that one in three adults are not getting tested. The main reason that these 23 million patients forgo screening each year is a symptom of expensive follow-up diagnostic tests, according to Kaiser Health News.
Here's what you need to know:
1. While some reasons for avoiding colonoscopy might include discomfort or the long preparation time, the most common factor in patients' decisions are cost.
2. Medicare and private insurers cover procedures recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, including colonoscopy, stool-based DNA tests and other colorectal cancer screening techniques.
3. If a screening method tests positive, a patient will need a follow-up colonoscopy to confirm the result.
4. Some private insurers cover the follow-up colonoscopy, without patient cost sharing.
5. However, Medicare and other insurers leave patients responsible for all deductible and coinsurance charges associated with the follow-up diagnostic test.