Oklahoma Health Plans and American Cancer Society Accept Colon Cancer Screening Coverage Challenge

(OKLAHOMA CITY)- March 2, 2010 -The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans (OAHP) announced today at a joint news conference with the American Cancer Society (Society) that they are joining forces in an effort to fight colon cancer, by educating Oklahoma citizens that colon cancer screenings should be a priority and are a covered benefit for members of individual and fully-insured group health plans.

 Last fall, the American Cancer Society approached the OAHP with details on the toll that colon cancer is taking on Oklahoma citizens, and what the Society is doing to encourage people to get screened.  In their discussions, the health plans agreed on the importance of consumer education on this issue and shared a number of initiatives they already had in place for their covered members.

"Prevention is the key to reducing the risk of colon cancer," said Laura Brookins, executive director of OAHP. "Our member organizations regularly inform and encourage their insured members age 50 and older to be screened for colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society guidelines. This is a positive step in working collaboratively to reduce the incidence of color cancer in Oklahoma."

 "We applaud OAHP for publicly supporting education and coverage for colon cancer screening," said Mark Clanton, MD, MPH, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.  "These screenings are unique because they can prevent people from getting colon cancer and avert needless deaths and suffering. Detecting cancer before it starts also saves dollars spent on treatment. Insurance coverage and education about recommended colon cancer screening options helps save lives.  Lack of education makes people less likely to be screened for cancer and it puts them at a much greater risk for less successful and more expensive late-stage diagnosis of disease."

The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans includes the following Health Plans:  Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, CommunityCare, Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, GlobalHealth, PacifiCare of Oklahoma and UnitedHealthcare. 

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the United States and is the third leading cause of cancer death for men and women.

Almost 1,900 new cases of colon cancer and an estimated 750 deaths from the disease are expected in Oklahoma during 2010.

Risk factors of colon cancer increase with age. More than 90 percent of cases are diagnosed in individuals 50 and older. 

Preventative measures are to begin screening at age 50 or before if there is a strong family history, maintain a healthy weight and be physically active, eat a well-balanced diet that is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, limit consumption of red meat and processed meat, limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women, and quit smoking.

Colon cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. It can be prevented by finding and removing polyps before they become cancerous and is highly treatable if found in its early stages. In addition, the five-year survival rate and death rate for colon cancer among Americans has been improving since 1990.

"About half the deaths a year could be prevented in the United States if persons age 50 and older got screened for colon cancer according to the American Cancer Society guidelines," said Pat Marshall, director of government relations for the American Cancer Society, High Plains Division.

The Oklahoma Association of Health Plans is a not-for-profit organization, created in 1987, to promote quality and affordable health care through advocacy, communications and education. They are committed to cultivating a regulatory and marketplace environment that facilitates a robust health care financing market, product flexibility and innovation, and an abundance of consumer choice.

The American Cancer Society's High Plains Division is comprised of staff and volunteers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas and Hawaii who are dedicated to saving lives and creating more birthdays by helping people stay well and get well, by finding cures, and by fighting back against cancer. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.