Call (800) 609-9900 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Call (800) 609-9900 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Take Note of These Changes to Colorectal Cancer Screening

Posted by Wendell Woodson, June 8, 2021

We all know that preventive medicine is the best way to stay healthy, or to catch serious diseases early in their development when they can be better managed. In the case of cancer, regular screenings for the purpose of early detection are paramount. Many types of cancer can grow, undetected, for many months or years before producing symptoms. And by that point, the disease has often progressed to a later stage and is much more difficult to treat.

That can certainly be the case with colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. While we’ve gotten better at detecting and treating this type of cancer, it is still estimated to kill more than 50,000 people this year. Now, the US Preventive Services Task Force has released new guidelines on colorectal cancer screenings.

Previously, the first screening was ordered at age 50. That target date has been moved up, with screenings to begin at age 45. You’re probably past that age now, but the new recommendation points to the fact that colorectal cancer can and does begin early, and often goes undetected for years. By changing the recommendation, doctors hope to catch more cases earlier.

The good news: Since the change comes as an official recommendation, many health insurance plans will cover the exam without copayment.

The not-so-good news: But what about those of you in your sixties, who have yet to schedule a colorectal screening exam? Technically, this new recommendation means you’re even farther behind on this important health screening.

For those who are hesitant about colorectal cancer screenings, it might help to know that the medical industry has come a long way toward keeping patients comfortable during this procedure. Talk to your doctor about your concerns, and they can offer different options to make the procedure seem less overwhelming for you.

Need more information?

Contact us online to learn more

Contact Us

Close Accessibility Tools
Accessibility Controls Reset
Content Adjustments
Font Size

Default

Line Height

Default

Content Scaling

Default

Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Highlight Forms
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Focus Mode
Color Adjustments
Desaturate
Monochrome
Contrast

Default

Saturation

Default

Accessibility Statement

Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

Our User Interface Adjustment Options

Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

Close