Home collection kits contain tests that help manage diabetes and screen for colon cancer and kidney disease in people who have diabetes
In an effort to better support chronic disease prevention and management, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) is collaborating with Labcorp – their national outpatient laboratory provider – to offer Medicare Advantage members home collection kits to manage diabetes and screen for colon cancer and kidney disease in people who have diabetes. The goal of providing Labcorp’s home collection kits is to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for at-risk Medicare Advantage members, as well as for those who have not been comfortable leaving their homes for routine health care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many health care services can be delivered through telemedicine, but there are times when physical screenings are necessary to identify conditions in their early stages and that’s where these home collection kits come in. Offering our most at-risk Medicare Advantage members home collection kits to screen for things like colon cancer and kidney disease and to manage diabetes can help them take control of their health.”– Dr. Heidi Syropoulos, medical director for Government Markets at Independence.
The tests being offered through the home collection kits include:
- HbA1c Test – A common blood test used to diagnose type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and to monitor how well members living with diabetes are managing blood sugar levels.
- Occult Blood, Fecal, Immunoassay Test (iFOBT) – A test that checks for blood in the stool and is used to screen for colorectal cancer, as well as to diagnose other conditions that cause bleeding in the digestive tract.
- Urine Albumin Test – A urine test that is used to screen for and to detect early kidney disease in people with diabetes or other risk factors, such as high blood pressure (hypertension).
The Labcorp home collection kits, which contain the same tests that are used by physicians and hospitals across the country, need to be authorized and ordered by a member’s physician. Once ordered, the home collection kit is sent to the member’s home via Fist-Class USPS – along with a prepaid return label and envelope/box for them to send the sample back in. There is no additional cost to eligible Medicare Advantage members whose doctors have ordered and authorized one or more tests. The member’s doctor will receive the results directly from Labcorp and then contact the member with the results.
“Home collections make it easier for patients throughout Philadelphia, and the country, to receive safe, convenient testing that may be critical to their overall health and well-being,” said Dr. Deborah Sesok-Pizzini, chief medical officer of Labcorp Diagnostics. “Labcorp and Independence are building on our already strong foundation to provide one more option to help physicians make confident testing and treatment decisions.”
Members with questions about home collections for screening tests should call the customer service number on the back of their subscriber ID card.
Media contact:
Diana Quattrone
Diana.Quattrone@ibx.com
215-815-7828
Y0041_HM_C_21_101876 website last updated 9/09/2021
Independence Blue Cross offers products through its subsidiaries Independence Hospital Indemnity Plan, Keystone Health Plan East and QCC Insurance Company — independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Independence Blue Cross offers Medicare Advantage plans with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Independence Medicare Advantage plans depends on contract renewal.