Dear AuntMinnie Member,
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) yesterday issued its long-awaited decision on CT lung cancer screening, and it was good news for the radiology community: CMS agreed to pay for the exams for Medicare beneficiaries ages 55 to 74 who are at high risk of lung cancer.
CMS placed a number of requirements on the scans, but none of them are particularly onerous for most imaging facilities. For example, sites performing screening must be accredited to provide low-dose CT screening or have participated in a past lung screening trial. They also must perform scans with less than 1.5 mSv of radiation dose and provide counseling and shared decision-making for patients in a separate and reimbursed patient visit.
The latter criteria are no doubt intended to address concerns raised in a Medicare panel meeting in April, in which an advisory committee made up of nonradiologists urged CMS to turn down lung cancer payments. Members of the panel raised the specter of an out-of-control explosion in CT lung screening that would irradiate Medicare beneficiaries while supplying questionable clinical benefit.
Fortunately, wiser heads prevailed at CMS, with the agency staking a middle position of allowing CT lung cancer screening to move forward while putting enough checks and balances in place to prevent it from being abused. Meanwhile, the proposed decision is still pending, and CMS is seeking public comment for the next 30 days. Learn more about the new ruling by clicking here.
In related news, just days before the CMS decision, researchers from the landmark National Lung Screening Trial published an analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine indicating that CT lung cancer screening met established statistical criteria for a cost-effective screening test. The group found that CT screening cost less than the $100,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) that is the threshold for cost-effectiveness. Learn more by clicking here.
CT lung cancer screening is now poised to move forward, as stakeholders in the radiology and lung cancer communities analyze the decision. One thing is certain: CMS has done the right thing, giving healthcare providers a new tool to save the lives of millions of current and former smokers.
Rolling on the Road
Our Road to RSNA preview of the scientific sessions at the upcoming RSNA 2014 meeting in Chicago keeps on rolling. We've launched new sections on advanced visualization and MRI, which join our previously launched sections on ultrasound, molecular imaging, CT, and imaging informatics.
Road to RSNA gives you a first look at what's going to be most important at radiology's showcase conference. You'll find everything you need to build your RSNA schedule, from session times to room locations. Check it out by clicking here, or visit rsna.auntminnie.com.
