Insurers are required to cover the entire cost of certain preventive procedures, including screening colonoscopy, under one of several Affordable Care Act provisions that begin to take effect today.

The American Society for Gastroinstestinal Endoscopy and the Colorectal Cancer Coalition are praising the new rule requiring health insurance plans to cover colorectal cancer screenings and other types of preventive services without imposing cost-sharing requirements, such as co-pays, on patients.

However, the groups note in a press release that adults who choose to undergo screening colonoscopies "may be unfairily penalized" because the law allows health insurers to impose cost-sharing requirements if precancerous polyps are removed during colonoscopy screenings.

"We call upon health plans and insurers to fully eliminate the cost burden of colonoscopy colorectal cancer screening by waiving cost-sharing for the screening portion of colonsocopies in the event that they turn therapeutic and a polyp is removed," says ASGE President M. Brian Fennerty, MD, FASGE.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the rule waiving patient cost-sharing for preventive services only applies if the care is administered by in-network providers. Preventive procedures and screenings eligible under the rule are determined by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Health Resources and Services Administration.

More information on the ACA provisions going into effect today is available at www.healthcare.gov.

Irene Tsikitas

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