The Shield test is now available to eligible members aged 45 and older, expanding access to screening options for colorectal cancer.
Guardant Health announced that its Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening is now covered for eligible UnitedHealth Group members aged 45 or older.
Approximately 40 million people are covered by UnitedHealth Group plans, including members under employer and individual plans, beneficiaries covered by Medicare Advantage, and individuals with supplemental Medicare coverage, according to a release from Guardant Health. The updated coverage provides access to the screening for those at average risk of colorectal cancer.
“More than 100 million people across America now have access to the Shield blood test,” says AmirAli Talasaz, Guardant Health CEO, in a release. “With the rising rates of colorectal cancer in younger people, expanding Shield coverage through United, the nation’s largest commercial health insurer, to the 45-plus population as a primary screening option marks a critical milestone in our commercial expansion to make colorectal cancer screening more accessible.”
Shield is the first and only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved blood test for primary colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults. The screening can be completed with a blood draw during a routine doctor’s visit. According to Guardant Health, the test offers a more accessible option to overcome barriers associated with traditional screening methods.
The test is the only FDA-approved blood test included in guidelines from both the American Cancer Society and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Clinical performance and real-world evidence for the test were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The expansion of coverage comes as colorectal cancer rates rise for adults under age 65. The disease is currently a leading cause of cancer death for adults under age 50.
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