WellPoint Inc., the second-biggest insurer, considers prostate screening "medically necessary" for men from 50 to 75, said Kristin Binns, a spokeswoman, in an e-mail. The Indianapolis-based company will continue to review the medical evidence and "make appropriate decisions as research evolves," she said.
Tyler Mason, a spokesman for UnitedHealth Group Inc., the top private insurer in the U.S., didn't return messages seeking comment. UnitedHealth is based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The task force's report should put an end to campaigns for mass screening popularized by celebrities and companies that benefit from "the lucrative business" of testing, said the Cancer Society's Brawley, in his commentary.
"Many advocates for prostate cancer screening have ignored the messages of caution," he said. For patients, "informed or shared decision making is simply not occurring."