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Proposal
to end Medicare Coverage for Virtual
Colonoscopies for Elderly needed as part of
Health Care Reform, New York Times editorial
states
[Mar 02, 2009] A tentative decision to end
Medicare coverage for virtual colonoscopies
because "there is not enough evidence" that
they would benefit individuals ages 65 and
older "may be a disappointment for older
Americans who would prefer a virtual exam to
a real one," but "those sort of judgments
will be fundamental to any successful health
care reform effort," a
New York Times editorial
states (New York Times,
2/28).
CMS
announced the tentative decision last month.
According to a notice published on the CMS
Web site, an analysis conducted by the
agency found "insufficient evidence" to
conclude that virtual colonoscopies "improve
outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries."
Many previous studies that supported use of
virtual colonoscopies involved participants
with an average age of 58 and, as a result,
the research might not apply to the older
Medicare population, CMS said.
"Even
if Medicare decides that virtual
colonoscopies are clinically effective, it
would then need to determine whether they
are cost-effective compared with other
screening options," the editorial states,
adding, "They do not appear to be at current
prices."