Summary: Lucid Diagnostics announced that the American Foregut Society has formally requested health insurance providers to include the EsoGuard Esophageal DNA test as a covered service for the early detection of esophageal precancer.

Takeaways:

  1. Advocacy for Coverage: The American Foregut Society is urging insurance providers to cover the EsoGuard test, highlighting its role as a minimally invasive alternative to endoscopy for detecting esophageal precancer.
  2. Scientific Support: The request is backed by strong scientific evidence and the incorporation of EsoGuard in AFS physician practices, aiming to reduce the risk of cancer progression through early detection.
  3. Impact on Healthcare Access: The endorsement of EsoGuard by the AFS aims to reduce healthcare disparities by making esophageal precancer testing more accessible, particularly in primary care settings, aligning with broader efforts to prevent esophageal cancer.

Lucid Diagnostics a commercial-stage, cancer prevention medical diagnostics company and subsidiary of PAVmed Inc. announced that the American Foregut Society (AFS), a leading society of gastroenterologists and surgeons collaborating to improve patient outcomes, including in esophageal disease, has formally requested that health insurance providers update their medical policies to include the EsoGuard Esophageal DNA test as a covered service.

Early Detection of Esophageal Precancer

The open letter, posted on the society website, highlights the critical need for early detection of esophageal precancer (Barrett’s Esophagus or BE) to prevent highly lethal esophageal cancer, the strong scientific evidence supporting the use of EsoGuard as a minimally invasive screening alternative to endoscopy, and EsoGuard’s incorporation in the practices of AFS physicians. The letter strongly advocates for medical policy coverage of EsoGuard consistent the most recent gastroenterology society guidelines and legislation in many states mandating coverage of biomarker tests like EsoGuard. 

“We are confident that expanding access to the EsoGuard test will empower providers with an essential triage for upper endoscopy (EGD) that enables the early detection of BE,” says Reginald Bell, MD, FACS, the chair of the AFS Board, on behalf the society. “The goal of early BE detection is to facilitate prompt treatment and surveillance, ultimately reducing the risk of cancer progression. By being available as a point-of-care test in primary care offices, EsoGuard directly reduces health disparities in endoscopy access, aligning with the mission of the American Foregut Society. We urge you to consider the immediate coverage of the EsoGuard test.“

About the American Foregut Society (AFS)

“The AFS is the preeminent society of renowned physicians and surgeons, focusing on esophageal cancer and other disease of the foregut. We are grateful that the society has used its platform to advocate on behalf of patients at risk for this highly lethal but preventable cancer,” says Lishan Aklog, MD, Lucid’s chairman and chief executive officer. “The AFS’s vocal advocacy highlights the critical need for accessible and effective screening tools, such as EsoGuard, to detect esophageal precancer to prevent cancer. Its strong endorsement of medical policy coverage of EsoGuard will enable more patients to benefit from esophageal precancer testing. We are committed to working with all payors to ensure that at-risk patients have broad access to EsoGuard, a critical weapon in our fight to prevent this cancer.”

Further reading: 4,000th Firefighter Undergoes Lucid Diagnostics’ Esophageal Precancer Testing