Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The wheels of government move slowly when Medicare reimbursement is an issue, but they do indeed move. In the case of Medicare payments for CT lung cancer screening, movement this week brought it another step closer to becoming a reality.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday announced that it was taking public comments on a proposal to implement Medicare reimbursement for CT lung cancer screening. The announcement was widely expected after the publication of a favorable recommendation for the exam by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last year.
CMS also plans to hold a meeting in April of its Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee, a body of clinical experts who advise CMS on reimbursement topics. Screening proponents will have a better idea after that meeting as to how the reimbursement push is going.
It would be a serious blow if CMS were to demand more evidence of CT lung screening's efficacy after the April meeting, but the fact that USPSTF has already signed off seems to bode well for screening's chances. Get more details by clicking here for an article in our CT Digital Community.
While you're in the community, be sure to read a rebuttal, authored by thoracic surgeon Dr. Frederic W. Grannis Jr., to the recent New York Times op-ed article on the dangers of medical radiation.
Dr. Grannis maintains that the New York Times piece not only sensationalized the risks of medical radiation, it failed to mention the lack of definitive evidence -- in the form of randomized clinical trials -- to support the allegation that radiation at the levels typically used in medical imaging causes cancer.
Read these stories and more in our CT Digital Community, at ct.auntminnie.com.
DR tomo for RA
Finally, visit our Digital X-Ray Community for a new article on the use of tomosynthesis with a digital radiography (DR) system for detecting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the hand and wrist.
Researchers from Japan wanted to find a way to detect bone erosion that is better than conventional digital x-ray but not as expensive as MRI. Tomosynthesis proved to be just the ticket, turning in far better performance than x-ray at a fraction of the cost of MRI.
Learn more by clicking here, or visit the community at xray.auntminnie.com.
