Policy & oversight
Medicare Now Covers a Stool RNA Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening, With No Deductible or Coinsurance
ColoSense, a mail-in multi-target stool RNA test for colorectal cancer, became a covered Medicare benefit effective June 8, 2026, at no cost to the beneficiary. It joins Cologuard and other non-invasive options already covered by Medicare without cost-sharing.
By the Goodsurance editorial teamSeptember 4, 2026
Medicare began covering ColoSense, a multi-target stool RNA test for colorectal cancer screening, effective June 8, 2026, under an updated National Coverage Determination 210.3. The coverage applies to average-risk adults aged 45 and older who receive an order from a qualified clinician, with no deductible or coinsurance applied to the beneficiary.
ColoSense, billed under CPT code 0421U, works by detecting molecular markers shed by colorectal cancer and pre-malignant tissue into the stool. The patient collects a sample at home and mails it to a laboratory for analysis. The Food and Drug Administration cleared ColoSense in May 2024 for average-risk colorectal cancer screening.
Medicare covers ColoSense, a no-cost mail-in stool RNA test for colon cancer screening, once every three years.
Medicare covers the test once every three years. Specifically, at least 35 months must have elapsed since the most recent covered non-invasive colorectal cancer screening test before a new ColoSense claim can be paid. The test must be ordered by a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist.
ColoSense joins a list of no-cost covered colorectal cancer screening options under Medicare, including Cologuard, Cologuard Plus, and blood-based biomarker tests. All are covered without patient cost-sharing when used as screening tests for average-risk individuals.
Starting January 2027, the Medicare HIPAA Eligibility Transaction System will include ColoSense claim history in eligibility response data, making it easier for ordering clinicians to confirm whether a patient has already received the test before submitting a new order.
In plain words
Medicare now pays for a new colon cancer test called ColoSense. You do the test at home. You collect a small stool sample and mail it to a lab. You do not pay anything for this test. There is no deductible and no copay. The test is covered once every three years. You must be 45 or older and at average risk for colon cancer. Your doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant must order it. Medicare already covered other home colon cancer tests like Cologuard. ColoSense is now another free option.
Understand the basics first
Source: HHS
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