Washington, D.C. – The American Cancer Society published new guidelines for colorectal cancer screenings today that state screening for colorectal cancer should begin at age 45 for people at average risk. The updated guidelines were based in part on data that show increasing rates of colorectal cancer in young- and middle-aged populations.
A statement from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, follows:
“Following the colorectal cancer screening guideline update by the American Cancer Society, ACS CAN will aggressively work to notify relevant state and federal policymakers, insurance commissioners and state Medicaid directors about the evidence in support of screening individuals aged 45-49, and the importance of expanding insurance coverage of screening for this age group. While a number of states explicitly reference ACS guidelines to inform preventive screening coverage requirements, all individuals should have access to coverage for recommended cancer screenings, regardless of where you live.
“As the health care law only requires coverage of prevention measures that receive ‘A’ and ‘B’ ratings from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) – and USPSTF gives screening starting at age 50 an ‘A’ rating - coverage for 45-49-year-olds may vary state to state and plan to plan. USPSTF updated its colorectal cancer screening guideline in 2016 and while it has no plans to revisit it in the near term, ACS CAN intends to officially recommend reconsideration of the guideline in light of the new evidence regarding younger birth cohorts.
“Consumers should understand what their individual insurance policy will cover and what out-of-pocket expenses they may incur should they begin screening at age 45, rather than age 50. Consumers should also understand that there are many screening options, and they may find certain screening options more affordable than others, particularly when faced with potential out-of-pocket expenses.”
The full release on the guidelines from the American Cancer Society can be found here.
###