{"id":27260,"date":"2026-11-01T10:56:43","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T10:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/11\/01\/pa-law-requires-insurance-to-fully-cover-colon-cancer-screenings-starting-at-45-whyy\/"},"modified":"2026-11-01T10:56:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T10:56:43","slug":"pa-law-requires-insurance-to-fully-cover-colon-cancer-screenings-starting-at-45-whyy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/11\/01\/pa-law-requires-insurance-to-fully-cover-colon-cancer-screenings-starting-at-45-whyy\/","title":{"rendered":"Pa. law requires insurance to fully cover colon cancer screenings starting at 45 &#8211; WHYY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Take in a slice of Americana with critically acclaimed host Ira Glass on &#8220;This American Life.&#8221; Each week he picks a theme, then gives his writers and performers the freedom to weave real stories from real people around that theme.<br \/>State-regulated health insurance plans must fully cover screening colonoscopies and other preventative colon cancer tests at earlier ages. <br \/>Dennis Massimo, 43, gets immunotherapy treatment for colon cancer at Abramson Cancer Center West Chester. (Margo Reed Studio\/Penn Medicine)<br \/><em>From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? <a href=\"#Section1\">Let us know!<\/a><\/em> <br \/>Pennsylvanians with state-regulated health insurance plans, like those sold on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, will now be able to get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/colorectal-cancer\/screening\/index.html\">colon cancer screenings<\/a> at no cost starting at age 45 instead of 50. <br \/>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.palegis.us\/legislation\/bills\/text\/PDF\/2025\/0\/HB1123\/PN4076\">new law<\/a> passed by the Pennsylvania legislature with bipartisan support and signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro on Oct. 22 expands the minimum age eligibility for full coverage of routine screenings, which can include colonoscopies, <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/segments\/philadelphia-hospital-turns-to-simpler-screening-for-colon-cancer-to-increase-access\/\">stool test kits<\/a> and blood tests. <br \/>Champions of the new law, like state Rep. Pat Gallagher, D-Philadelphia, hope that it will help more people access early screening and catch colon cancer at earlier stages.   <\/p>\n<div class=\"block block--doubleclick side-ad\" style='width:100%; padding-top: 10px;'>\n<div class=\"ad-cat-value\" data-value=\"whyy_health\"><\/div>\n<ul class=\"list list--ads double-ads\">       <!-- newsworks_medium_rectangle_300x250_top -->       <\/p>\n<li style=\"width:300px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<div>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1632838654069-0' style='width:300px; height:250px;'>             <script defer src=\"data:text\/javascript;base64,d2h5eURlbGF5LmxvYWQoJ2h0dHBzOi8vc2VjdXJlcHViYWRzLmcuZG91YmxlY2xpY2submV0L3RhZy9qcy9ncHQuanMnKTs=\"><\/script>             <script defer src=\"data:text\/javascript;base64,CiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgdmFyIGdvb2dsZXRhZyA9IGdvb2dsZXRhZyB8fCB7fTsKICAgICAgICAgICAgICBnb29nbGV0YWcuY21kID0gZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZCB8fCBbXTsKCiAgICAgICAgICAgICAgZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgewogICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgZ29vZ2xldGFnLmRlZmluZVNsb3QoJy8xMDUwNDE0L3doeXlfaW5saW5lXzMwMHgyNTBfMScsIFszMDAsIDI1MF0sICdkaXYtZ3B0LWFkLTE2MzI4Mzg2NTQwNjktMCcpLmFkZFNlcnZpY2UoZ29vZ2xldGFnLnB1YmFkcygpKTsKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIGdvb2dsZXRhZy5wdWJhZHMoKS5zZXRUYXJnZXRpbmcoImFkY2F0Iiwid2h5eV9oZWFsdGgiKTsKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgICBnb29nbGV0YWcuZW5hYmxlU2VydmljZXMoKTsKICAgICAgICAgICAgICAgIGdvb2dsZXRhZy5kaXNwbGF5KCdkaXYtZ3B0LWFkLTE2MzI4Mzg2NTQwNjktMCcpOwogICAgICAgICAgICAgIH0pOwogICAgICAgICAgICA=\"><\/script>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                    <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/corporate-underwriting\/\" title=\"WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor\" class=\"ad-caption\">WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor<\/a>               <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s one small step to a greater step to get people early detection,\u201d said Gallagher, who was a lead sponsor of the bill and is a colon cancer survivor. \u201cAnd I keep going back to early detection, because it is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cancer.org\/cancer\/types\/colon-rectal-cancer\/detection-diagnosis-staging\/survival-rates.html\">a treatable, curable cancer<\/a> if detected early.\u201d <br \/>The law takes effect in December and will apply to most state-regulated insurance plans by 2028. <\/p>\n<h2>Changes in screening recommendations as colon cancer rates rise<\/h2>\n<p>The American Cancer Society updated its <a href=\"https:\/\/acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.3322\/caac.70083\">colon cancer screening guidelines<\/a> in 2018, which recommend that screenings start at age 45 instead of 50. Disease rates among people under 50 <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/fullarticle\/2846859\">have risen rapidly<\/a> in recent years, data shows. <br \/>The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, an independent panel of scientists and experts in disease prevention, made the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org\/uspstf\/announcements\/final-recommendation-statement-screening-colorectal-cancer-0\">same recommendation<\/a> in 2021. Federal agencies adopted the change, which meant all private health insurance plans had to cover the screenings at no cost for eligible patients. <br \/>However, that left a gap for people with state-regulated insurance plans, who might still be charged for a screening test if they were under 50 and had no documented history of colon cancer in their family. <br \/>\u201cIf you fell into those gaps, insurance companies don&#8217;t like paying preventative maintenance,\u201d Gallagher said.         <br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/affordable-care-act-health-insurance-open-enrollment\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Pa., N.J. and Del. to kick off 2027 ACA health insurance open enrollment on Nov. 1 as health costs rise: What you should know\">                 Pa., N.J. and Del. to kick off 2027 ACA health insurance open enrollment on Nov. 1 as health costs rise: What you should know                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>ACA customers may face higher premium prices for coverage next year, but insurance experts say most people still qualify for financial assistance.<br \/>6 days ago<br \/>The new Pennsylvania law will close those insurance gaps, he said, but noted that it doesn\u2019t address the fact that there are many adults even <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/philadelphia-colon-cancer-survivor-equitable-care\/\">younger than 45<\/a> who could benefit from a free screening test. <br \/>Gallagher himself was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer at 45, which meant the disease was likely growing, undetected, long before he ended up in the hospital with serious stomach pain in early 2020. <br \/>\u201cThey thought it was originally diverticulitis and they were going to remove half my colon. And when they went in there, they found four tumors,\u201d he said. The discovery led to multiple surgeries, a temporary colostomy bag and chemotherapy. <br \/>Gallagher estimates that his insurance paid out close to $1 million for his care, which was extensive given his late-stage diagnosis. He compares that to the average $2,500 it might cost insurers to cover a screening colonoscopy, which can detect cancer at earlier stages that are often less costly to treat.   <\/p>\n<div class=\"block block--doubleclick side-ad\" style='width:100%; padding-top: 10px;'>\n<div class=\"ad-cat-value\" data-value=\"whyy_health\"><\/div>\n<ul class=\"list list--ads double-ads\">       <!-- newsworks_medium_rectangle_300x250_top -->       <\/p>\n<li style=\"width:300px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<div>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1632838704911-0' style='width:300px; height:250px;'>                         <script defer src=\"data:text\/javascript;base64,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\"><\/script>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                    <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/corporate-underwriting\/\" title=\"WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor\" class=\"ad-caption\">WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor<\/a>               <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhat I went through was brutal,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if we can avoid that, and even avoid insurance companies having to pay for all these treatments, you would think that would be the way it should be.\u201d <br \/>State Rep. Jordan Harris, who represents parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House, has also questioned whether the state and insurance companies are doing enough to prevent colon cancer deaths in younger people. <br \/>Harris\u2019 late wife, Tiffany Harris, died in 2024 from the disease. She was only 36 years old. During legislative hearings, the representative said he didn\u2019t think his wife would have been considered high risk prior to her diagnosis, and that if she had access to routine screening, her case may have been caught earlier. <br \/>\u201cI know what happens when this disease goes undetected for too long. No family in Pennsylvania should have to experience that same pain,\u201d Harris said in a statement after the bill gained final passage in the legislature last month. <br \/>Lawmakers and cancer survivors said they\u2019re preparing to try and get the recommended minimum age for routine colon cancer screenings down even more. Gallagher said lowering it by another five years could be significant. He plans to introduce legislation to that effect next term. <br \/>\u201cI don&#8217;t know if we&#8217;ll ever get to 35, at least not in my lifetime. I think that would be a Herculean lift,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I do think we can go back and get it to 40, which I think is important.\u201d         <br \/>Never miss a moment with the WHYY Listen App!<br \/>Play, pause, and rewind the live radio stream, access on-demand audio features, and dive into podcasts from both local and national sources.<br \/><i>WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please <a href=\"\/support-our-journalism\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"no-ajaxy\">give today.<\/a><\/i><br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/pennsylvania-health-insurance-premium-increase-pennie\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Pennsylvanians buying 2027 health insurance on Pennie will face 16% average premium increase\">                 Pennsylvanians buying 2027 health insurance on Pennie will face 16% average premium increase                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>Loss of pandemic-era tax credits and high use of medical care are driving up costs on Pennie, the state\u2019s Affordable Care Act marketplace, insurance officials say.  <br \/>1 month ago<br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/premium-increases-2027-pennie-pennsylvania-aca\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Pennsylvania ACA health insurers propose double-digit premium increases for 2027\">                 Pennsylvania ACA health insurers propose double-digit premium increases for 2027                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>The total average premium rate increase request in the individual market is 17%. Some insurers like Ambetter are requesting an average increase of 40%.<br \/>3 months ago<br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/pennsylvania-affordable-care-act-enrollment-120000\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"120,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped ACA health insurance since the loss of federal subsidies\">                 120,000 Pennsylvanians have dropped ACA health insurance since the loss of federal subsidies                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>High monthly premium payments without enhanced tax credits, coupled with high costs of daily living, have caused some to cut insurance.<br \/>7 months ago<br \/>Nicole Leonard is a health and science reporter for WHYY News.<br \/>33 seconds ago<br \/>13 hours ago<br \/>14 hours ago<\/p>\n<p><span>Want a digest of WHYY&#8217;s programs, events &#038; stories?<\/span> Sign up for our weekly newsletter.<br \/>Together we can reach 100% of WHYY\u2019s fiscal year goal<\/p>\n<p>WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community.<br \/>WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone\u2019s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/whyy-social-responsibility-program\/\">Social Responsibility at WHYY<\/a>. It\u2019s how we live.<br \/><a href=\"tel:+1 (215) 351-1200\">215.351.1200<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"mailto:talkback@whyy.org\">talkback@whyy.org<\/a><br \/><a href=\"tel:+1 (302) 516-7506\">302.516.7506<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"mailto:talkback@whyy.org\">talkback@whyy.org<\/a><br \/>\u00a9 2026 WHYY <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMieEFVX3lxTE9jUHp4WGJPUjFfbjVqTU1qRDdzSVVpdlVFdVpHdmZ6RnhvNnFPWjRoMHFHX0FyWFg4WUJJZVRHeUJmdTE5eUczM2NqUWhzQ09PSFJIaTNFVHpaMW1qZ3VqZ2p2NkhPUmQwWTAyRGxfaDYtZ1c3V1dULQ?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Take in a slice of Americana with critically acclaimed host Ira Glass on &#8220;This American Life.&#8221; Each week he picks a theme, then gives his writers and performers the freedom to weave real stories from real people around that theme.State-regulated health insurance plans must fully cover screening colonoscopies and other preventative colon cancer tests at [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27261,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27260","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27260","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27260"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27260\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27260"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27260"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27260"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}