Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today led 45 members of Congress in sending a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand access to preventative care by requiring insurers to cover surveillance colonoscopies without cost-sharing. Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 years old, and recent studies have discovered a rising incidence of colorectal cancer rates. When detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 90%, but unfortunately, early detection occurs in less than 40% of colorectal cancer cases.
“During the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, Congress prioritized patients’ access to preventative care by requiring insurers to cover these services without cost-sharing. This has enabled patients across the nation to access critical care to reduce their risk for disease and death, but we fear too many Americans continue to face obstacles in accessing preventative health screenings, like colonoscopies,” the lawmakers write. “To bolster access to important screenings, we write to request the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) change its federal FAQ guidance for commercial insurers regulated by the ACA to treat surveillance colonoscopy as part of the screening continuum, for preventive services and cost-sharing purposes.”
“HHS has made great strides in lowering colorectal cancer incidence rates in the Medicare population, but it is time we focus on the younger generation as well. Colorectal cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. among men and women combined, and it is now the leading cause of cancer death in men younger than 50 years of age,” the lawmakers continue. “In fact, recent studies highlight a rising incidence of colorectal cancer in individuals younger than age 50, and incidence rates have doubled in ages 20 to 49. Among younger adults, ages 20 to 49, colorectal cancer is estimated to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2030.”
“When detected and treated early, the five-year survival rate for colorectal cancer is 90%, but unfortunately, early detection occurs in less than 40% of colorectal cancer cases. We are alarmed that cost-sharing for “diagnostic” colonoscopies is contributing to alarming trend,” the lawmakers conclude. “For these reasons, we urge the HHs to clarify through its ACA FAQ guidance that the follow-up colonoscopy should be treated as a preventive service. In adopting this update to the FAQs, the federal government would eliminate a significant barrier to screening and directly improve access to care, especially in minority populations where we are seeing a 20% higher incidence rate and 40% greater likelihood to die from colorectal cancer compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Screening and follow-up are powerful tools in the fight against colorectal cancer, yet patient cost-sharing and fear of the procedure itself are demonstrated barriers to screening. We urge the Department’s immediate attention to resolving this problem and look forward to collaborating with you on a solution.”
View the full text of the letter and all co-signers here.
