The insurer will provide coverage for the multi-analyte test starting July 2026, following new data showing parity with mass spectrometry.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will begin providing medical policy coverage for blood-based Alzheimer’s disease biomarker testing on July 1, 2026.
The coverage includes Quanterix’s LucentAD Complete, a five-analyte algorithmic blood test that evaluates amyloid pathology, tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation. Quanterix announced the milestone alongside new peer-reviewed research and data presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026.
“Blood-based Alzheimer’s diagnostics are entering an important new chapter,” says Everett Cunningham, CEO of Quanterix, in a release. “Commercial reimbursement, peer-reviewed rigorous validation and expanding real-world evidence together represent the foundation required to grow clinical adoption.”
Anthem, the second-largest health insurer in the United States, provides medical coverage to approximately 40 million members across 14 states. The new policy, LAB.00046: Testing for Biochemical Markers for Alzheimer Disease, outlines the clinical criteria for members to receive the testing when medical necessity is met.
Study Shows Diagnostic Parity
New research published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring compared the LucentAD Complete immunoassay against an immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry (IP-MS) method. Using a shared patient cohort, the study found the test demonstrated high diagnostic parity with IP-MS.
The multi-analyte algorithm reduced diagnostic ambiguity by approximately three-fold compared with standalone plasma p-Tau217, according to the study. This resulted in fewer intermediate or indeterminate results for clinicians. The study authors concluded that algorithmic blood testing can deliver performance comparable to mass spectrometry while providing additional biological insight to support clinical management.
Real-World Clinical Utility
At AAIC 2026, researchers presented data on the utility of multi-biomarker testing in primary care settings. Dr Carla VandeWeerd, principal investigator and director of the University of Florida Precision Health Research Center, presented results from a screening study involving 520 adults aged 55 and older in Florida.
The study used a two-stage approach combining cognitive assessment with blood-based biomarker testing. The results identified approximately 20% of cognitively normal participants as having evidence of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. The testing also helped inform referral decisions for individuals with cognitive impairment.
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