Business Wire·Jul 1, 2026, 2:50 PM ET

UnitedHealth Group Now Covers Guardant Health’s Shield Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer Screening

UnitedHealth Group, the largest commercial insurer in the U.S., now covers the FDA-approved Shield blood test for colorectal cancer screening for 100 million total covered lives.
This coverage expansion marks the first major commercial insurer to include Shield for adults aged 45 or older, addressing rising colorectal cancer rates in younger populations.
Shield is the first & only FDA-approved blood test for primary colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults 45+ that is included in both American Cancer Society (ACS) & National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines.
Approximately 40 million Americans are covered by UnitedHealth Group plans, including employer, individual, Medicare Advantage, & supplemental Medicare beneficiaries eligible for the updated policy.
The non-invasive Shield test utilizes methylation partitioning cell-free DNA to detect cancer alterations via a blood draw during routine visits, with positive results requiring colonoscopy follow-up.
Guardant Health co-CEO AmirAli Talasaz stated this milestone expands access to critical screening innovation amid increasing mortality for cancer in adults under 50.
Clinical performance & real-world evidence for Shield have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.