Comments on: Colon Cancer State Rankings

CBS Evening News: Report Card On Which States Require Insurance Companies To Pay For Screenings

[harbinger19]

Gee... and somehow I thought the article would at least mention which states do NOT get an A--now we still don't know.....

[platteman]

All one has to do is remember the past. Tony Snow, Katie Couric's husband, many others.

[Bull61]

Dr. LaPook made a VERY INACCURATE statement that 'blood in stool is already cancer...it is too late'. Hemoccult (both guaiac and immunochemical) which detects blood in stool can be an effective early detection of polyps as the stool passes. Only about 1 - 2 % of these polyps will ever turn into cancer. And, it may take several years for polyps to turn. If polyps are detected, the removal virtually prevents the occurrence of cancer. The cost is ~ $20 per year. Hemoccult stool tests are a very clinically effective and affordable method to screen for people with no family history of colon cancer. Most states and payers will reimburse for Hemoccult testing for individuals over 50 years old. Dr. LaPook should perform a community service and set the record straight.

[loriventnor]

MY FATHER DIED SIX YEARS AGO FRON COLON CANCER. WE LIVE IN NEW JERSEY WHICH IS CONCIDERED AN "A STATE" AND COVERS JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING WHEN YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. NOW MY BROTHER LOST HIS JOB 8 MONTHS AGO AND THERE WENT HIS HEALTH INSURANCE. HE NO LONGER CAN AFFORD TO GET HIS YEARLY COLON RECTAL EXAMS. HE IS PETRIFIED. IS THERE ANY WAY HE CAN KEEP HIS YEARLY EXAMS WITHOUT PAYING. IS THERE ANY HELP OUT THERE FOR THOSE NOT INSURED ANY MORE???? NEED LOTS OF HELP FOR MY BROTHER. THX TRYING TO KEEP HIS CHIN UP.

[mdgirl52]

Now that CBS News has terrified millions of people [after doctor's office hours] by telling them that "blood in the stool means cancer", hopefully people will not flock to the nearest ER tonight. This finding can mean many different things, including bleeding from diverticulitis, internal or external hemorrhoids, etc. Also the presence of white blood cells detected on the Hemoccult card can mean infection as well as high levels of NSAIDs or aspirin-containing drugs in the stool - even heavy consumers of red meat can have a false positive on this card test. But on the flip-side, maybe their news story will at least heighten awareness of getting checked for any change a person may notice and that is the whole idea.

[puzzler125]

Do hemoccult cards check for the presence of leukocytes now? (white blood cells) When I worked in a medical laboratory the cards only detected the presence of blood (whole blood), did not differentiate between white and red blood cells, and there were lots of false positive due to many of the reasons you mentioned as well as others.

[mnitzberg]

Your piece on insurance coverage for colon cancer screening was interesting, but only told part of the story. Another snag in the system (for both medicare patients and many private insurers) is the distinction between screening and therapeutic. That means that if a screening colonoscopy is normal it is fully covered. However, if a polyp is found and removed this is now considered a therapeutic surgical procedure, which is not fully covered. Patients find out after the fact that they are now responsible for large copays and deductibles. So, if the test is normal and you didn't really need it, then it is covered. But if it actually makes a difference in your longterm health you have to pay for it. The costs are not small, and they discourage many patients from pursuing appropriate medical care. This is a hole in the system that needs to be fixed!

[LOL_AT_CBS]

Too bad CBS does NOT have either a graphic artist or a health educator that knows anything about COMMUNICATION because if they did, they would not have chosen two blues on the map that are barely indistinguishable from each other for A and B. After all they only used up 5 colors and that leaves...uh...how many? Oh yearh, an INFINITE NUMBER!

[captswife]

While I love in NC and our state does require coverage of a colonoscopy, it does not require it to be affordable. I worked for our state's largest health insurer and am now the Director of employee healthcare for a self funded health plan, and the problem continues to be that colonoscopies are 99% of the time subject to a deductible. This requires people to pay between $500 and $1000 before their insurance coinsurance kicks in. This often puts this very necessary preventive screening out of most people's reach. We need to make all preventive screenings not subject to a deductible, similar to how most plans cover immunizations, physicals, and mammograms.