Twenty-nine leading patient advocacy groups and healthcare organizations joined together to applaud the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management to uphold the constitutionality of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and in turn the provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires most private insurers cover recommended services without cost sharing, including colorectal cancer screening.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, with rates currently rising in younger adults. Many Americans have been provided with no-cost screening for colorectal cancer for more than 15 years, and it has proven to be a lifesaving tool to reduce mortality, and for some, prevent cancer altogether.

Between 2010 and 2016, eliminating cost sharing was associated with a 17% drop in colorectal cancer incidence, meaning this coverage prevented approximately 65,000+ of the 290,000 deaths that would have otherwise occurred. This is tremendous progress, but more work remains. Still far too many Americans die each year of colorectal cancer.

The Court’s decision is a win for Americans and for public health, but continued access to timely colorectal cancer screening is critical. We urge the Administration to continue to uphold and build on the rigorous, data-driven work of the Task Force and ensure that it keeps up with scientific innovation to protect patient access to the full continuum of effective colorectal cancer screening.

Signed by the Colorectal Cancer Screening Policy Workgroup, including:

• AliveandKick’n
• Alliance for Women’s Health and Prevention
• American Cancer Society
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• American College of Gastroenterology
• American Gastroenterological Association
• American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
• American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons
• Big Mike’s Bottom Line
• Braintree Laboratories
• California Colorectal Cancer Coalition
• Cheeky Charity
• Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer
• Colon Cancer Coalition | Get Your Rear in Gear
• Colon Cancer Prevention Project
• Colon Cancer Stars
• Colorectal Cancer Alliance
• Exact Sciences
• Fight Colorectal Cancer
• FORCE: Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered
• Freenome
• Geneoscopy
• Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education
• GH Foundation
• Guardant Health
• Nevada Cancer Coalition
• PALTOWN Development Foundation/COLONTOWN
• Prevent Cancer Foundation
• The Gloria Borges WunderGlo Foundation