Cigna revises policy, will now pay for screening DBT

Reversing a decision made late last year, health insurer Cigna said it will now cover breast screening exams performed with digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).

Cigna had announced in November 2015 that it would only pay for DBT exams performed for diagnostic purposes, a policy decision it said was based on guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In April 2015, the USPSTF had published draft guidelines that concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine that DBT was clinically superior to traditional mammography for breast cancer screening.

However, Cigna said it elected to change the policy due to guidance earlier this month from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which recommended that physicians consider DBT exams as an option for patients' annual breast cancer screening. Cigna's new coverage policy applies to DBT services provided on or after August 23.