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Expanded Medicare Coverage For PET Imaging At Northwest Community
The National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) was recently developed to prospectively evaluate how PET imaging impacts the management of patients with known or suspected cancer. As part of this NOPR research project, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded coverage of PET imaging as of May 8, 2006 to include the diagnosis, staging and monitoring of Medicare patients with any known or suspected malignancy (previous CMS coverage was limited to only nine specific indications).
In order for Medicare to pay for this expanded coverage, the PET facility must be registered with the NOPR, and the referring physician must provide the NOPR with information about how the PET results will influence patient treatment. Patients are also asked to have their clinical and imaging data formally entered into the NOPR research study. However, patients may freely decline to do so, with their PET studies still reimbursed by CMS.
The PET/CT scanner located within the Busse Center for Specialty Medicine is registered with the NOPR, and Northwest Community is offering this expanded coverage to our Medicare patients. For more information, please visit the NOPR web site, www.cancerpetregistry.org. By NOPR study design and protocol, the PET imaging facilities themselves are not allowed to answer questions regarding the research study.
Fused PET/CT image on a 79-year-old male status-post transurethral resection of a bladder carcinoma. Standard follow-up CT studies had shown persistent bladder wall thickening of uncertain etiology. There is normal FDG excretion into the urine (orange color within the urinary bladder and bilateral distal ureters). However, the bladder wall has absolutely no FDG uptake, indicating that the thickening is not malignant in etiology. PET imaging for bladder cancer was not previously reimbursed by CMS, and this examination could only be obtained because of the NOPR project.
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Screening Mammography Patients Soon To Be Offered The Option Of On Site Results
In order to better serve our mammography patients, we will be implementing a "Results by Request" program from 7 AM to 3 PM Mondays through Fridays in the very near future. The precise start date will depend upon exactly when additional digital mammography units and new image interpretation workstations are installed and operational.
When scheduling their mammography examinations, screening patients will be asked to choose between one of two options for receiving results. They can opt for a 30 minute mammography appointment, receiving their results by mail or from their referring physician who will receive the final mammography report by fax the same day. Patients can alternatively choose a longer 1 hour appointment time and verbally be given results prior to leaving the department.
For our diagnostic mammography patients (eg, clinical abnormality or additional images requested because of an abnormal screening examination), results will continue to be routinely given on site at the time of imaging.
Magnified CC mammographic view of the left breast on a 43-year-old screening patient. The image reveals suspicious microcalcifications (red arrow), shown at subsequent biopsy to represent ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Beginning in the near future, patients such as this will be given two different options for receiving their results.
For more information about Northwest Radiology Associates, the services we provide, and how to contact individual radiologists, please visit our web site: northwestradiologyassociates.com
If you are reading a printed version of this newsletter and would like to receive future editions electronically, please contact: ckalbhen@northwestradiologyassociates.com
If you do not wish to receive future editions of this eNewsletter, please contact the same individual. We also welcome your questions and comments.
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