More than 40,000 PET procedures were performed in the U.S. between April 1 and June 30, 2001, an increase of 7% over the fourth-quarter-2000 estimate of 37,400 procedures.
A quarterly study by IMV Medical Information Division (formerly Technology Marketing Group) of Des Plaines, IL, showed the start of a decline in PET procedures performed by coincidence detection cameras. The drop is most likely due to a recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to restrict reimbursement for PET procedures to dedicated PET scanners.
IMV's estimates are based on surveys by a panel of facilities performing PET procedures using either dedicated PET scanners (fixed or mobile) or gamma cameras with coincidence detection ability.
IMV estimates that 510 facilities in the U.S. performed PET procedures during the second quarter of this year. The majority of sites performing PET procedures used coincidence cameras to perform the studies, but the majority of procedures were actually conducted on dedicated PET scanners.
PET utilization will likely show at least a short-term reduction if proposed CMS reimbursement cuts are implemented, according to IMV.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersOctober 23, 2001
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