Virtual Colonoscopy
Virtual Colonoscopy diagnosis is not covered by Medicare, Why?
Cancer of the lower gastrointestinal tract or colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in both men and women. It is generally an adenocarcinoma. Just recently, Farrah Fawcett filmed her struggle with rectal cancer. This was viewed on TV by millions of Americans and all of us were sympathetic. It illustrated her fight with cancer over the past few years. Her rectal cancer was found at a later and more invasive stage. Tony Snow also died of bowel cancer that was found at a later period. Most importantly for everyone is that fact that if found early, the treatment can be very successful. But it must be found early. Surgical resection can give a five year survival of 80% or more of patients and chemotherapy can add to that. If the cancer is found at a later stage, the survival rates are observed to be appallingly low.
The method for discovering colon and other gastrointestinal cancer is by radiologic examination. Symptoms that occur should drive one to their physician immediately. No delay in imperative. Black, tarry stools, anemia, fatigue and chronic tiredness, weight loss or lightheadedness on standing May by clues for you. Do not ignore them. Once confirmed by your doctor, more tests will be performed and will probably include CT scan or MRI. These may show a tumor. You will ultimately get a colonoscopy performed by a gastroenterologist.
A colonoscopy is not a pleasant or benign procedure. You must fast and clean your colon out so the physician can see the bowel. While some can have this procedure done under intravenous sedation, most really require a general anesthetic of some degree. What I mean here, is that a patient will be given enough drug like a short acting narcotic, an amnesic and a sleep inducing drug will be used. At times, the patient will be unconscious and not breathing (thus it is a true general anesthetic). This is risky business. An experienced anesthesiologist or other personnel must be there to give the drugs and monitor a patient. For most health young adults this is no real problem and they tolerate it well. However, if you are 65 or older you may have more health problems and not do so well. Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and so on are more common in the elderly. They are a greater risk. The preparation and anesthetic increase your risk. Many insurance companies and Medicare have tried to eliminate paying for anesthesia services for this procedure to save money. They are not concerned with our comfort or good outcome.
Now we come to virtual colonoscopy. Using some radiation, the colon can be scanned without anesthesia. Safe. Simple. Costly. That is the rub. If they find a lesion, he patient then must undergo a colonoscopy anyway to get a biopsy and confirm the findings. Medicare refuses to pay for virtual colonoscopy because it is raises the risk of radiation, and they question its effectiveness in older patients versus younger ones. It does outline large polyps better than small ones.
No matter, it eliminates anesthesia risk and is tolerated by the elderly better. Medicare says no, but we shall see. Obama would have had his grandmother get the virtual colonoscopy anyway.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:01 pm
As a senior citizen, I think that if Medicare would cover the virtual colonoscopy, this cancer would definitely be caught in time for treatment and saving of the patient. The discomfort and fear of regular colonoscopies, is what keep people living with this type of cancer, until it is too late. Come on Medicare, think of the lives that could be saved. We seniors need this option. There are 2 people in my household that would get the virtual colonoscopy without hesitation.