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In-home colorectal cancer screening kits for Medicare Advantage members
September 11, 2020

This article is for providers caring for our Medicare Advantage members

We’re committed to keeping our members healthy during these unprecedented times, which is why we’ve partnered with Quest Diagnostics™ to deliver in-home colorectal cancer screening kits to your Medicare Advantage patients.

Who is eligible?

Blue Cross Medicare Advantage patients between ages 50 to 75 may be eligible for this program. Based on our claims data, we’ve identified patients who may be overdue for this screening according to the Colorectal Cancer HEDIS and CMS Five-Star measure.

How does the home-based kit work?

The InSure® ONE™ collection kit contains everything patients need to collect and submit their test sample for analysis. This kit is the only water-based collection kit that collects two samples on a single card. Patients collect their sample in the privacy of their own home. No preparation or dietary restrictions are required. Patients must mail the kits back by December 31, 2020.

After Quest Diagnostics receives the specimen, they will:

  • Test the specimens within 48 hours of receipt.
  • Mail the results to the member.  Members with “detected” results will receive a call to encourage them to follow up with their primary care provider. If Quest is unable to reach the patient by phone, they will mail a certified letter.
  • Post the results on their secure member portal within 7-10 days. 
  • Mail the results to the physician identified in our records as the patient’s primary care physician.

What can you do?

Encourage all patients to have colorectal cancer screenings at appropriate intervals. We understand the difficulty that they may have in scheduling preventive care during the public health emergency. The in-home kit can help patients monitor their health safely from home. If your patient mentions that they have received a kit in the mail, urge them to complete the testing during the program period.

Resources

See our Quest Diagnostics Colorectal Fact Sheet.

Questions?

  • To check eligibility and benefits, call the customer service phone number on the member’s card.
  • For InSure® ONE™ collection kit: Call Quest Diagnostics™ at 1-866-908-9441.

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