CMS has announced expanded coverage for specific colorectal cancer screening tests by lowering the minimum age to include individuals aged 45 years and older under Medicare Part B.
“CMS is expanding coverage for colonoscopy for all Americans at age 45 instead of age 50. This is a welcome change, as it aligns with evidence-based guidelines by the United States Preventive Services Taskforce,” Shazia Siddique, MD, MSHP, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and director of research at the Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety, told Healio. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, screening colonoscopies are essentially free for Americans, and now this is extended to Americans between ages 45 to 49 as well.”