On Jan. 1, a new law went into effect in Nebraska, requiring insurance companies to cover every part of colorectal cancer screenings.
The new law requires insurance companies to cover the removal of polyps, any pathology examination of a polyp biopsy, required specialist consultation prior to the screening, bowel preparation medications prescribed for the screening and anesthesia services performed in connection with the preventive colonoscopy, according to a Jan. 2 report from the Nebraska Examiner.
The law follows the passage of Legislative Bill 92 in 2023 and includes a provision that required insurance plans to cover screening colonoscopies, as well as an annual stool-based preventative screening test designed for patients with minimal to average risk of colorectal cancer.
Nebraska is in the lower half of states for colorectal cancer screening rates, according to the report.