Guardant Health said Tricare will cover its Shield blood‑based colorectal cancer screening test, making Shield available with no copay to active‑duty service members and their families aged 45 and older at average risk. The coverage follows Shield’s 2024 FDA approval as a primary screening option and recent VA and CMS coverage steps. Guardant framed the Tricare decision as an expansion of access across federal health plans and a validation of blood‑based screening utility in large health systems. The move could increase uptake in a defined population and strengthen payer precedent for other private and public insurers evaluating blood‑based cancer screening. Guardant emphasized Shield’s integration into screening pathways and the potential to reduce barriers to colorectal cancer detection in populations with historically lower screening rates.