Coverage of Colonoscopy Under the Affordable Care Act’s Prevention Benefit

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services such as colonoscopies without any patient cost-sharing. This 2012 report finds that confusion over whether colorectal cancer screenings are characterized as preventive care or treatment means patients sometimes receive unexpected bills for the procedure. The report examines cost-sharing practices for colorectal screenings through interviews with experts and officials in the medical and insurance industries.

This report was co-authored by The Kaiser Family Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and NCCRT.

Disclaimer: This resource does not reflect the new 2018 ACS guideline for colorectal cancer.