NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Interpace Diagnostics announced today that its Medicare administrative carrier Novitas Solutions has issued a new local coverage determination for the company's PancraGen pancreatic cyst cancer risk stratification test.
The new policy, which covers about 55 million individuals, is non-conditional, Interpace noted. Previously, the company was required to send ongoing data to Novitas for analysis for approved continued coverage of the test.
"This new Novitas policy is another strong indication that PancraGen is a critical component of accurately diagnosing and treating this intractable type of cancer," Interpace Interim CEO Jack Stover said in a statement. "With this new policy, PancraGen will be available to all Medicare eligible patients nationwide that have a suspicious pancreatic cyst that has yet to be determined as malignant or benign."
This summer, Interpace announced that an undisclosed contracted national plan had extended its coverage of PancraGen to an additional 1.3 million lives, and that a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan had renewed contract coverage for the test for 5.9 million members.