Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Should CT lung cancer screening of Medicare patients be limited to accredited centers where the quality of scans can be ensured? That's the modest proposal put forward this week by a new article in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In a commentary published June 24, Dr. Renda Soylemez Wiener of Boston University proposes that CT lung screening be limited to sites that meet (yet-to-be-issued) guidelines for who should be scanned and how the exams should be performed. Such a model would meet concerns expressed by the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC), which in April gave a vote of low confidence for Medicare payment for scans.
How is the radiology community reacting to the proposal? With caution: Many CT lung screening proponents are open to the idea of putting guidelines in place, but others are concerned that setting the bar too high could restrict access to screening in rural areas and smaller communities. Read more by clicking here.
In other news, the use of CT to guide stroke treatment with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator is evolving. Find out how by reading this article on a talk by Dr. Michael Lev from the International Symposium on Multidetector-Row CT earlier this month.
Get these stories and more in our CT Digital Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
USPSTF and AAA guidelines
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has finalized guidelines on ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), according to a new article in our Ultrasound Digital Community.
The new guidelines largely hew to previously announced guidance on the scans, but they do represent a change from USPSTF's 2005 advisory, particularly with respect to older women with smoking histories. Previous USPSTF guidance advised against scans in these individuals; the new guidance is more nuanced, advising women 65 to 75 who have smoked to consult with their doctors.
Learn more about the guidelines by clicking here, or visit our Ultrasound Digital Community at ultrasound.auntminnie.com.
Raid seizes luxury cars
Finally, investigators from New Jersey say they seized several luxury cars from the mansion of a man who ran a chain of medical imaging centers in the state, as part of an investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud.
Officials say they seized Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars from the home of Rehan "Ray" Zuberi, the head of Diagnostic Imaging Affiliates of Hackensack. Zuberi and at least a dozen associates were arrested in the raids.
Investigators charge that Zuberi ran an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid by paying doctors for patient referrals. His operation allegedly covered up the fraud by providing services to doctors such as transporting patients.
This isn't the first time that Zuberi has run afoul of the law, either. Learn more by clicking here.
