As mailed stool-based colorectal cancer screening expands, the AGA is scrutinizing how insurers target patients, guide those with unclear risk, and ensure timely follow-up colonoscopies after positive results. The association is actively engaging payors to close gaps and is asking members to share de-identified patient instruction letters to improve program quality and continuity of care.
Author: Abhay Panchal
Natera has acquired liquid biopsy startup Foresight Diagnostics in a deal valued at up to $450 million, strengthening its push into ultra-sensitive molecular residual disease (MRD) detection, particularly in lymphoma. The all-stock transaction includes $275 million upfront and up to $175 million tied to future revenue and reimbursement milestones. The acquisition brings Foresight’s PhasED-Seq technology into Natera’s Signatera platform. Unlike conventional liquid biopsy approaches, PhasED-Seq requires detection of multiple mutations on the same DNA molecule, a design intended to sharply reduce sequencing errors and enable detection of circulating tumor DNA at extremely low levels. Foresight claims the method is up…
Penn State College of Medicine has received a $4.2 million, five-year grant from the CDC to expand colorectal cancer screening across rural and underserved communities in Pennsylvania, marking the first time the state has been awarded CDC funding specifically for colorectal cancer screening efforts. The initiative will launch PA-CARES, a statewide alliance designed to raise screening rates in 28 counties with the lowest participation, many of which are considered “screening deserts” due to barriers such as cost, transportation, limited provider access, and weak follow-up pathways. The program focuses not only on increasing screening uptake but also on system-level change, embedding…
Several important motility coding changes are set to take effect January 1, 2026, reshaping how key neurogastroenterology procedures are billed across outpatient settings. Most notably, EndoFLIP™ will now be billable in the ambulatory surgery center (ASC) after years of advocacy from GI societies—opening the door to broader procedural flexibility. At the same time, long-standing CPT codes for anorectal manometry and barostat are being retired, replaced with new, clearly separated Category I codes intended to eliminate historical billing confusion and duplicate reporting. The update also introduces a new permanent CPT code for IB-Stim®, transitioning the therapy out of temporary “new technology”…
The AGA released a living guideline for moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (published in Gastroenterology, Dec 2025) that pushes clinicians toward earlier use of high-efficacy “advanced” therapies (biologics/small molecules) rather than waiting through insurance-driven step therapy. Key takeaways:
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the final 2025 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility determinations, updated with Medicare Part B claims and Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) data through Sept. 30, 2025. All clinicians are encouraged to verify their status using the QPP Participation Status Tool, as eligibility may have changed, particularly for those who joined a new practice within the past year. Updates to rural special status are also expected by the end of December.
Congress is running out of time to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of December. A Senate vote to extend the subsidies failed, and a Republican alternative plan also didn’t gain enough support. Without action, millions of Americans could face sharply higher insurance premiums or lose coverage altogether, with KFF projecting average premium increases of 114%. Hospitals and health leaders warn that the lapse would force families to make difficult financial decisions, delay care, or drop insurance, increasing uncompensated care burdens on health systems. While there are some bipartisan efforts…
Ambient AI scribes are being adopted at an unprecedented pace across U.S. health systems, with clinicians embracing the technology as a direct antidote to documentation burden and burnout, according to new reporting from Healio. Early real-world data show meaningful reductions in after-hours EHR work, measurable drops in burnout rates, and growing patient satisfaction as physicians reclaim face-to-face time. But alongside rapid uptake, unresolved issues remain — including consent, data retention, liability, and AI errors — raising questions about governance as ambient listening tools move from pilot projects to core clinical infrastructure.
New York Gastroenterology Associates, one of the city’s largest independent GI practices, is moving pathology fully into the digital era by adopting Proscia’s AI-enabled Concentriq platform. The shift replaces traditional microscope workflows with high-resolution, data-rich digital slides—speeding diagnoses, supporting pathologists, and opening the door to AI-driven insights in GI diseases like cancer. Beyond day-to-day efficiency, the move positions NYGA to collaborate more closely with life sciences and pharma partners as precision medicine and digital pathology converge. Why this matters: GI practices are no longer just care delivery hubs—they’re becoming data and research engines. NYGA’s bet signals where pathology, AI, and…
Researchers at Harvard have identified how colibactin — a toxin produced by certain gut bacteria — directly damages human DNA in ways long associated with colorectal cancer, according to a new study published in Science. The work, led by Emily Balskus and Victoria D’Souza, shows that colibactin creates rare and highly toxic DNA inter-strand cross-links, binding both strands of the DNA double helix together. These lesions disrupt normal DNA replication and repair, increasing the likelihood of mutations that can drive cancer development. Using living bacteria to generate the unstable toxin in real time, the team demonstrated that colibactin preferentially targets…