NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Veracyte said today that Anthem has issued a positive coverage policy for its Afirma gene expression classifier (GEC) for use in thyroid cancer diagnosis.
The genomic test is designed to identify benign thyroid nodules in patients with indeterminate fine needle aspiration biopsy results. With the coverage policy, it is now available to Anthem's approximately 40 million members, Veracyte said.
"Every major health plan in the United States now covers Afirma," Veracyte Chairman and CEO Bonnie Anderson said in a statement. "This is a significant corporate milestone for us as Afirma is one of the only tests in the genomic diagnostics sector to achieve such broad coverage."
Earlier this year, Veracyte announced coverage decisions for the Afirma GEC from 10 Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. According to the company, the test is now covered for more than 260 million individuals, including over 110 million Blues plan members.