- AGA supports the development of a national approach to CRC screening to ensure accessibility to all individuals in the United States with the goal to eliminate suffering and death from CRC.
- There is strong evidence from randomized controlled trials, observational clinical studies and modeling studies that increasing CRC screening rates will reduce CRC incidence and mortality.
- A screening program should include both colonoscopy and noninvasive screening options, patient education, outreach and navigation support.
- Co-pays and deductibles are barriers to screening and contribute to socioeconomic disparities. The full cost of screening should be covered by payers without cost sharing.
- Screening with high-quality colonoscopy should be covered by payers without cost-sharing, consistent with the aims of the Affordable Care Act. These costs include the bowel preparation, facility and preparation fees, anesthesia and pathology.
- Noninvasive colorectal screening should be considered as programs with multiple steps, each of which, including follow-up colonoscopy if the test is positive, should be covered by payers without cost sharing as part of the screening continuum.
- AGA supports expansion of the continuum of screening to include the follow-up of patients found to have high-risk adenomas (HRA) or advanced sessile serrated lesions (SSLs).
- AGA, working with a broad coalition of stakeholders, envisions the creation of a national resource to help manage population health focused on ensuring high-quality CRC screening and eliminating barriers to CRC screening.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.