AARP Hearing Center
PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock
At 68, Nancy Culling had a full, happy life. She retired from teaching, and enjoyed spending her days reading, swimming, and making glass art in her Florida home. She and her husband, Larry, loved spending time together and visiting their son.
Health-wise, Nancy considered herself lucky. She had no major medical issues — and when her doctor suggested she get screened for colon cancer, she always said no.
“I told her, ‘No, I'm not doing that!’” Nancy laughs. “I just didn’t want to have a colonoscopy. My mother had one years ago, and she told me how embarrassed she was. I said, ‘Nope, not doing that in front of anyone!’”
PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock
A Colon Cancer Screening Option That Changed Everything
I just didn’t want to go through something that felt embarrassing,” she says. “So I kept putting it off.”
Courtesy of Nancy Culling
That changed when she learned about a use-at-home screening option—the Cologuard® test—that she could complete privately and without a clinic visit. The kit arrived at her home with clear instructions, and the simplicity of the process eased her worry.
“I said, okay, I’ll do that,” Nancy recalls. “It’s in the privacy of my own home. It came with clear directions — no problem at all.”
Completing the test was a small step, but it became a turning point in Nancy’s life.
How Care Gap Programs Bring Screening to More People
Like Nancy, millions of adults across the country fall behind on colorectal cancer screening each year—often because of scheduling challenges, transportation barriers, or uneasiness about traditional procedures.i,ii To help close these gaps, some health systems and plans bring screening directly to peoples’ homes through care gap programs.
Health plans and systems identify average-risk adults who are overdue for colorectal screening. Licensed clinicians issue prescriptions, where clinically appropriate, based on a review of patient eligibility information. Cologuard kits are then mailed—along with educational materials that describe appropriate use and completion of the test— directly to the individual’s home. Participation is optional, and most insurance plans cover the full cost.iii The process allows individuals to complete colorectal screening privately, removing many of the obstacles that commonly prevent people from getting screened.
If a Cologuard test result is negative, the person is typically due for screening again in three years.iv A positive result means a follow-up colonoscopy is needed to complete the screening evaluation, which is covered with no cost-sharing for most health plans.v
