NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Exact Sciences today announced that Tufts Health Plan will cover its Cologuard colorectal cancer screening test, effective March 15, 2014.
The noninvasive stool-based test will be available to more than one million people in Massachusetts and Rhode Island covered by the Tufts Health Plan.
"The steady momentum around reimbursement for Cologuard since launch underscores the strength of our clinical data and the demand for more noninvasive screening options in order to improve colon cancer screening rates across the country," Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy said in a statement.
The test analyzes multiple genetic and epigenetic biomarkers in stool samples to screen for colorectal cancer and is the first stool-based test approved by the FDA for colorectal cancer screening.
In November 2014, the American Cancer Society updated its guidelines on colorectal cancer prevention to reflect the availability of the Cologuard test. Earlier this month, Exact Sciences signed an agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals to co-promote the test and major insurance providers Anthem and Aetna Medicare announced they would cover the test.