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Aetna to Cover Veracyte Thyroid Cancer Test

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Veracyte announced today that Aetna will provide its members with coverage for the firm's Afirma Gene Expression Classifier, a genomic test used to clarify results as benign or suspicious for cancer.

The Afirma Gene Expression Classifier is part of Veracyte's Afirma Thyroid FNA Analysis, which combines specialist cytopathology assessment of thyroid nodule FNA samples with the Afirma test. According to the South San Francisco, Calif.-based firm, Aetna issued a positive coverage policy for the test, making it available to the insurer's estimated 22 million medical members for use in assessing thyroid nodule fine needle aspiration biopsies that are indeterminate following traditional cytopathology review.

The coverage policy became effective last month.

Veracyte said that including the coverage decision by Aetna the Afirma Gene Expression Classifier is now covered for approximately 110 million patients nationwide, including through Medicare, UnitedHealthcare and other, smaller private plans.

Veracyte recently completed the final tranche of its Series C financing round raising $28 million.

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