The American College of Gastroenterology has warned the court that limiting the authority of USPSTF could result in millions of Americans losing access to free colorectal cancer screenings.
“Simply put, the implications of the Court’s upcoming decision on patient care and public health should not be understated,” Amy Oxentenko, MD, president of ACG, said in a March 5 press release. “We informed the Supreme Court of how much progress we’ve made in recent decades in preventing colorectal cancer deaths through colonoscopy with polypectomy, but also warned the justices how much is at stake in this moment – especially as incidence rates continue to rise among younger Americans.”
On March 3, ACG submitted an amicus brief to the court warning of the public health implications of invalidating USPSTF recommendations.
The USPSTF’s recommendations are currently leveraged by 16 states in their colorectal cancer screening insurance mandates.
Additionally, preventive services of the ACA have saved countless lives by eliminating patient cost-sharing, a major barrier to care, according to the release.
Out-of-pocket expenses deter patients from getting colon cancer screenings. ACG has warned the court that the U.S. could experience lower screening rates and higher death rates if the decision is affirmed.
Overall, incidence rates of colorectal cancer have fallen by nearly 50% in recent decades, which the ACG attributes to increased screenings and lower screening costs.
