Cologuard to be offered to GHC patients

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin will be the first Wisconsin health plan to cover Cologuard, the non-invasive screening test for colorectal cancer developed by Madison-based Exact Sciences. The Cologuard test, which patients can do in the privacy of their own homes, is the only FDA-approved test of its kind and can be offered to patients 50 years and older who are at an average risk for colorectal cancer. It has been proven to find 92% of colorectal cancers with 87% specificity. Last month, the Mayo Clinic, with locations in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida, became the first health system to approve the use of the test.