NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Exact Sciences announced today that its Cologuard colon cancer screening test has been included in the Medicare Advantage Advance Notice and Draft Call letter.
If the test is deemed appropriate for inclusion in the final Medicare Star Ratings, Medicare Advantage plans would be allowed to increase their Star Rating when patients complete their screening with Cologuard, Exact said. The proposed inclusion of the test in the Star Ratings program marks an important step in Exact's goal of making Cologuard a standard of care for colon cancer screening, Exact Chairman and CEO Kevin Conroy added in a statement.
There will be a 60-day public comment period before a final decision is made on whether to include Cologuard in the Star Ratings program.
In October the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set was updated to include Cologuard on a screening schedule of once every three years. William Blair analyst Brian Weinstein said in an investor note today that inclusion in the Star Ratings is heavily influenced by HEDIS, and he expects Cologuard will be included as a result.