Abstract A127: Medicare restricts coverage of genetic testing

Abstract

Abstract This poster will discuss the Medicare to National Coverage Determinations (NCD) for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for Medicare Beneficiaries with Advanced Cancer. The change to NCD will impact access to necessary screenings of people within specific communities most at risk for hereditary cancers; all age groups, men and women but specifically people of color with BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 gene mutations. Germline mutations are associated with increased risk of a variety of cancers and confer significant risk of increased morbidity and additional primary cancers. Without access to genetic testing, the possibility of identifying the “familial component” of cancer increases, resulting in late diagnoses, complicating and creating difficult treatment decisions and potentially affecting the prognosis. The NCD should strive to provide reasonable and necessary care that aligns with current evidence based guidelines and medicine. Germline tests should be covered, are important diagnostic tools that identify specific mutations’ this knowledge can provide physicians the benefit of clinically actionable interventions. Citation Format: Verinda Hobbs. Medicare restricts coverage of genetic testing [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A127.