Plus Therapeutics’ CNSide Assay Gains Highmark Coverage, Expanding Covered Lives from 67M to 75M
Plus Therapeutics’ CNSide CSF assay gained reimbursement from Highmark, boosting covered lives from 67 million to 75 million nationwide. The agreement supports the company’s 2026 objective of insuring 150 million lives and may accelerate oncology center adoption by reducing reimbursement barriers.
1. Highmark Coverage Agreement
Plus Therapeutics secured a reimbursement agreement with Highmark effective April 1, 2026, covering its CNSide CSF Tumor Cell Enumeration assay. This adds approximately 8 million lives to an existing network of 67 million covered across national and regional payers.
2. Accelerated Adoption in Oncology Centers
By reducing financial barriers for ordering physicians, the Highmark agreement is expected to accelerate CNSide adoption across U.S. oncology centers. Expanded coverage may lead to broader use for metastatic central nervous system cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
3. Progress Toward 150 Million Covered Lives
The new coverage increases total covered lives from 67 million to 75 million as part of the company’s 2026 objective to reach 150 million covered lives. United Healthcare and Humana previously added coverage following the assay’s commercial launch in 2020.
4. Clinical Utility and Economic Benefits
Since 2020, over 11,000 CNSide tests have been performed at more than 120 cancer institutions, delivering 92% sensitivity and 95% specificity. Health economic analyses indicate CNSide-enabled early detection can reduce leptomeningeal metastases–related costs by roughly 40% and influence treatment decisions in 90% of cases.