NEW YORK – Guardant Health said Wednesday that its Shield blood-based colorectal cancer screening test is now covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Network (CCN).
The test is considered an in-network benefit for veterans receiving care through that insurance program. The CCN enables veterans to receive care from community-based practitioners when there are no VA facilities available.
Eligible veterans between the ages of 45 and 84 will have access to the test with no copay.
The Shield assay was approved for coverage by the US Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2024. Earlier this year, CMS granted it Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory Test (ADLT) status, reimbursing it at $1,495 per test for Medicare patients during the initial nine-month ADLT period starting on April 1.
"We are proud of the lifesaving value that the Shield blood test can bring to US veterans and their families," AmirAli Talasaz, co-CEO of Guardant Health, said in a statement. "This coverage decision by the VA is the first for younger and non-Medicare beneficiaries and we are excited to broaden the impact of our screening test to help detect more colorectal cancer early, when it is most treatable."
