Having a colonoscopy is a pain in the butt, but it can save your life. Having to deal with insurance is also a pain in the butt, but it can save your hard earned dollars.
My husband was recently debating a colonoscopy vs an at-home testing kit after his doctor said he could choose whichever he wanted.
The colonoscopy is still the gold standard of care and recommended for people with a family history of colon cancer – like my husband.
Colonoscopies accurately screen for way more cancers and if any concerning polyps are present, they can often be removed during the procedure. Unlike other medical screenings, a colonoscopy is highly rated for PREVENTING colon cancers, not just alerting you once you already have it.
So, for this very routine, gold standard of care, that all insurances allegedly have to cover at 100% (as long as it is preventative*) why are there no providers in-network in my town or in 2 other larger cities that I checked?
I sent my husband the information about how to get an out of network provider approved. Stay tuned for if he is successful and how long it takes!
I hope one day in our country, we don’t have to go through this complicated process. For now, we do. It is a pain, but it is worth the time and effort- both to get the care you need and to get the coverage you deserve… and are paying for with your premiums!!!
*In order to be covered as 100% preventative, you can’t have had an abnormal test. For example, if you have any symptoms such as blood in you stool, then a colonoscopy is diagnostic not a screening so your deductible would come into play. Also, if you used an at home test and the test results came back abnormal, the subsequent colonoscopy would now be diagnostic so not coded/covered as a preventative service.
**Reminder – this is not medical advice, do your own research, talk to your doctors, be informed! See disclaimer.