# Colonoscopy coverage urged for all states



## Guest (Oct 19, 2000)

Colonoscopy coverage urged in all US statesNEW YORK, Oct 17 (Reuters Health) - Virginia is the only state that requires all insurers to pay for colonoscopy for colon cancer screening, but the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) wants all states to enact similar laws.During a colonoscopy, a lighted instrument is used to examine the entire colon to look for signs of cancer.Virginia State Senator Emily Couric led the successful effort to get the Virginia law passed. Senator Couric is the sister of Today Show host Katie Couric, whose husband died of colon cancer. The ACG gave Senator Couric a special award during opening ceremonies at its annual scientific meeting here.In an interview with Reuters Health, ACG trustee Dr. David A. Johnson of Norfolk said his home state is the "only state to require insurers to pay for this screening." Johnson, who organized a coalition of physicians and patients who lobbied the Virginia legislature, chaired an ACG press conference on colonoscopy screening.Senator Couric said the law "states that insurers must follow ACG guidelines, so if the guidelines change, required coverage will also change."Dr. Douglas K. Rex of the University of Indiana School of Medicine, one of the co-authors of the ACG guidelines, said at a press briefing that colonoscopy is "unquestionably the best screening tool for colon cancer."However, there is still widespread public resistance to colonoscopy because many people are reluctant to undergo such an invasive procedure, according to Rex. Yet, studies suggest that persons who undergo the procedure "have the highest level of satisfaction, meaning that compared to other screening tests--such as mammography--patients are more satisfied with colonoscopy," he said.Rex added that colonoscopy is the only "proven method of colon cancer prevention" but exercise and low-fat diets have also been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. For many years, a high-fiber diet was suggested as a means of reducing colon cancer risk, but three recent studies have raised questions about fiber.The American Cancer Society (ACS) said last week that it is asking its dietary advisory committee to reconsider its current recommendations on fiber. ACS spokesperson Joann Schellenbach said that the group decided to take another look at the diet recommendations after the first two studies.Currently, the ACS advises that a diet low in fat, high in fiber with an emphasis on increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of colon cancer. She said she anticipates some "minor tinkering in language referring to risk reduction," but no wholesale changes.Irrespective of the latest fiber studies, Rex said, "the fiber story is not over yet." He believes "long-term follow-up, more than just 2 or 3 years, will be needed to really answer the question."


----------



## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Guy:Thanks for posting this! Colonoscopies are so important, especially after 50. I didn't realize that they weren't required to be covered in all states. That's really sad.JeanG


----------

