Your health is important to us and we want to do everything we can to ensure that you stay healthy and up to date with your guideline based health screenings.  Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.* Even if you feel fine, screening is important as colorectal cancer doesn’t always cause symptoms. Regular screening is key to preventing colorectal cancer and finding it early when treatment works best.**

Know the colorectal cancer risk factors.***

  • Age – risk of colorectal cancer increases as you get older
  • A personal or family history of polyps or colorectal cancer
  • A personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease
  • Certain genetic syndromes
  • Lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, obesity, and physical inactivity

Get screened, right at home.

Cigna and Labcorp have teamed up to make screening easier and more convenient by offering eligible Cigna Medical Insurance enrollees an at-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT) test. It’s a simple test that can help find colorectal cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. It is one of several colorectal cancer screening options. Talk with your health care provider about which test is right for you.

A colorectal cancer screening FIT kit will be mailed to certain eligible participants ages 50-64 who are enrolled in Cigna Medical Insurance for the past two years. While we encourage participation, it is not required and will not affect benefits eligibility. You may throw it away if you do not want to participate, if this test is not right for you or you have another screening option planned.

There is no fee to process your test.  If your test is positive it may not mean that you have cancer, but you should make an appointment with your health care provider right away to follow up. That visit as well as any follow up testing will be billed toward your deductible and may result in an out-of-pocket cost to you. 

Please look for this important mailing coming soon to eligible participants, to help stay up to date with colorectal cancer screening right at home.

If you have questions about this program, please call the Cigna Quality Department at 800-210-9122.  You may also reach out to the GMHEC Benefits Team with questions at benefits@gmhec.org or 802-443-5485

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Colorectal Cancer Statistics.” www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/statistics/index.htm. Page last reviewed: June 8, 2021.

**CDC. “What Should I Know About Screening?” www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/screening/index.htm. Page last reviewed: February 8, 2021.

***CDC. “What Are the Risk Factors?” www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/basic_info/risk_factors.htm. Page last reviewed: February 8, 2021.

The information provided in this document is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with your health care provider for appropriate examinations, treatment, testing, and care recommendations.

Please see your benefit plan documents for preventive care coverage details. If your plan does not have 100% in-network preventive coverage, or you use an out-of-network provider, deductible, copay or coinsurance may apply. You will be financially responsible for the full cost of the test if you are no longer covered by the health plan at the time the test is returned.

Leave a Reply