US under-45s struggle for insurance approval as colon cancer rates rise

ACA requires firms to cover colonoscopies for over-45s but young people face hurdles to receive appropriate tests

As colon cancer rates are rising among people in their 20s and 30s, some adults in the US who are under 45 and experiencing worrying symptoms are struggling to get insurance coverage for colonoscopies, which can detect colon cancer.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to cover colonoscopies for people over 45 “because it’s been recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force”, says Caitlin Murphy, a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Chicago. The ACA requires preventive screenings, including pap smears, for example, to be completely covered.

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US health insurance executives testify before Congress about increasing costs of healthcare

CEO of UnitedHealth Group said his company will return profits earned from Affordable Care Act plans to customers

Executives from five of the country’s largest health insurance companies appeared before Congress on Thursday as lawmakers examined why healthcare has become increasingly harder for Americans to afford.

In one effort to address the affordability crisis, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, Stephen Hemsley, announced that the nation’s largest insurance company will rebate profits made this year from its Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans to customers, while adding it was a relatively small participant in the ACA individual market.

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People in the US: how has the end of Affordable Care Act subsidies affected you?

Premiums have risen for at least 22 million Americans – we’d like to hear about the impact on your household

Enhanced subsidies that have kept health insurance premiums affordable for millions of Americans who use the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expired at the end of last year.

Premiums have risen sharply for at least 22 million Americans who purchased their coverage through the ACA marketplaces using the tax credits, according to research.

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What a GOP trifecta means for health care​

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Trump’s queasy prescription to ‘make America healthy again’ takes shape

Jumble of proposals include ‘massive reform of Obamacare’ and giving anti-vaxxer RFK Jr the helm of health agencies

From assertions that America’s highest-profile vaccine critic would lead health agencies to new promises for “massive reform” of Obamacare, the chaotic last week of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign will probably serve as a preview of what “Make America healthy again” could mean should the former president regain power.

The jumble of proposals echoed conservative policy documents, channeled the residual anger of the post-pandemic anti-vaccine movement and alarmed experts who help set the nation’s health policies.

When do polls close?

When will we know the result?

Where is abortion on the ballot?

Senate and House races to watch

How the electoral college works

Everything you need to know

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Vance and Trump try to soften health care approach

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