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Exact Sciences Signs Cologuard Coverage Contract with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Exact Sciences said today that it has signed an in-network coverage contract for the Cologuard colon cancer screening test with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Patients covered by the insurance company in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin will now have access to the test as an in-network service.

"As Cologuard's in-network status grows in 2016, more people gain access to this innovative screening test. This access gives us more opportunities to find cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages," said Exact Chairman and CEO Kevin Conroy in a statement. "The momentum continues to build for Cologuard's commercial coverage and contracting. Along with more patients gaining in-network access to our test, the execution of our sales strategy and our consumer marketing efforts continue to drive Cologuard awareness among both patients and physicians."

In February, Exact announced it had signed a similar in-network coverage contract for Cologuard with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Georgia and Virginia. The test is also covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield in North Carolina, however Exact has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina for "improperly and illegally adopt[ing] an official policy of denying benefits and refusing to pay Exact" for the costs of performing Cologuard.

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