Only half of Americans age 50 and older have had a screening colonoscopy, and the results are particularly poor for underinsured adults, according to a new survey from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Specifically, the survey revealed that:
Nearly 67% of Hispanics age 50 and older have never had a screening colonoscopy.
More than three-fourths (77%) of uninsured adults ages 50-64 reported never having a screening colonoscopy, compared to 54.1% of those covered by Medicaid and other public health plans.
Slightly more than half of people age 65 and older who had Medicare in addition to some other form of insurance have had a screening colonoscopy. Only 45% of people in the same age group who only had Medicare coverage and 34.6% of people who had Medicare in addition to private insurance coverage had never undergone screening colonoscopy.
More information on the report can be found on the AHRQ Web site.
Copyright © 2007 AuntMinnie.com
![Axial images from unenhanced calcium score cardiac CT (left) and curved planar reformation images from CT angiography (right) show that higher long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with greater coronary artery calcium and more obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Top row: Images in a 68-year-old male patient with higher 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (7.9 μg/m3 for particulate matter measuring ≤2.5 μm in diameter [PM2.5] and 17.4 parts per billion [ppb] for NO2) with extensive CAD (coronary artery calcium score [CACS] >1,000 and obstructive CAD [≥70% diameter stenosis]). Bottom row: Images in a 57-year-old female patient with lower 10-year mean ambient air pollution exposure (6.3 μg/m3 for PM2.5 and 4.6 ppb for NO2) with no CAD (CACS = 0 and no obstructive stenosis).](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/06/hanneman.r6SMLzkezo.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
