The Billings (MT) Gazette (3/11, Uken) reported, “The nation’s new Affordable Care Act requires most insurance plans to cover all costs for preventive care, including colon cancer screening.” However, the free screening may result in a bill to the patient if polyps are found and removed during the procedure. As a result, “some physicians and prevention advocates are asking Congress to review the law to waive patient costs, including Medicare co-pays, which can cost up to $230 for a screening colonoscopy where polyps are removed.” Now, “the American Gastroenterological Association” is “pushing Congress to fix the problem because of the confusion it is causing for patients and doctors.”
