Blood-based cancer screening tests face delayed federal coverage as USPSTF review stalls
Blood-based liquid biopsy tests that detect circulating tumor DNA offer a non-invasive method for early cancer screening and can be completed during a routine doctor's visit. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which determines which preventive services insurers must cover at no cost under federal law, has not yet updated its guidelines to include these tests. Colorectal cancer is now the leading cancer cause of death for Americans under 50, according to the American Cancer Society, with more than 54 million eligible people not up to date on recommended screenings.
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Non-invasive blood tests capable of detecting cancer through circulating tumor DNA have been approved and incorporated into guidelines by both the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but have not yet been added to USPSTF recommendations — the standard that determines no-cost insurance coverage under federal law. Because the task force has not updated its colorectal cancer screening guidance to include these newer tests, patients generally cannot access them without cost-sharing, a barrier that research has shown reduces screening uptake.
The Washington Examiner published an op-ed by Dr. Eric Wargotz — a practicing physician, clinical professor emeritus of pathology at George Washington University, and president of MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society — arguing that "bureaucratic inertia" at the USPSTF is the central obstacle. Wargotz stated the panel has been "effectively sidelined," postponing meetings and freezing updates to national screening guidelines, while medical innovation has continued to advance.
Wargotz framed the issue in part around an op-ed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that called prevention a central pillar of healthcare. Wargotz argued that if the administration's stated goal is to empower doctors and patients, the federal government must offer a broader set of screening options to "meet patients where they are," noting that screening decisions vary significantly by geography and individual circumstance.