After polyps are detected, patients may not be eligible for free colonoscopies, according to a column in Kaiser Health News.
Here are three things to know:
1. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer get screening colonoscopies every 10 years. The ACA required commercial insurers to cover colonoscopy screenings without charging patients between ages 50 and 75 anything out-of-pocket. If preventive services meet the task force's recommendations, they are covered at no cost by insurers, even if a polyp is found and removed.
2. Physicians may recommend more frequent surveillance screening if they find any polyps, which may put patients at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. The task force does not have a recommendation for high-risk colorectal cancer screening, so insurers are not required to cover it without cost-sharing.
3. Medicare covers screening colonoscopies without charging beneficiaries anything out-of-pocket, covering tests every 10 years and every two years if a patient is high-risk. If a polyp is found during the test, however, the procedure is considered diagnostic and the patient is responsible for a copayment.
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