Did you know that the implementation of health care reform regulations has begun with a significant change involving your access to “preventative health services?” The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) now requires that all health care insurance plans cover preventative services, including colorectal cancer screening for individuals aged 50 or older, without any cost-sharing to the patient. This means that all insurance plans are now obligated to provide first-dollar coverage for your 5- or 10-year screening colonoscopy. The PPACA regulations specify that plans cannot impose cost-sharing requirements, such as co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles for any of the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF)-designated preventative services.
What this means for you is that 100% of the allowed amount of your screening colonoscopy should be covered by your insurance carrier. Our billing staff will affix a modifier to your insurance claim to alert your carrier that this procedure was a screening procedure so they do not shift any of the allowed costs to you. So don’t delay! Schedule your screening colonoscopy today. Colorectal cancer can be prevented when you commit to routine screening.
