The American College of Radiology (ACR) is urging the U.S. Congress to pass legislation introduced last week that would require Medicare to pay for virtual colonoscopy screening.
The Virtual Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act of 2010 (HR 5461) would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide coverage of screening CT colonography (CTC), also known as virtual colonoscopy, to Medicare beneficiaries.
The bill was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and co-sponsors Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) on May 28.
In supporting the bill, the ACR of Reston, VA, asserted that CTC's efficacy has been proved in clinical trials, and the technology is as accurate as standard colonoscopy in detecting lesions in patients of average risk.
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