U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., and more than 40 members of Congress are urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reverse a decision to end Medicare coverage for computed tomography colonography (CTC), or virtual colonoscopies.
When it announced its decision on Feb. 11, CMS cited a lack of evidence that virtual colonoscopies improved outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries. But in a joint letter, the legislators noted that because CTC is a less-invasive screening procedure than a traditional colonoscopy, it promises to increase initial colorectal cancer screening rates.
“With March being National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, it is the perfect time to offer virtual colonoscopies as an effective screening alternative for those who may be averse to an invasive colonoscopy,” Kennedy said in a news release.
“Although almost always curable if detected at an early stage,” he added, “colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer because only 39 percent of patients have their colorectal cancer detected early enough. By providing Medicare coverage of virtual colonoscopies, we will be preventing unnecessary deaths.”
In a letter to CMS, the legislators noted that the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., a leading institution in CTC research, has increased colorectal screening rates by 70 percent since it added CTC as an option to patients.
The legislators also argued that “sufficient data and clinical evidence exist” to support CTC screening coverage, including a multi-site national trial reported last September by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network that found CTC is “comparable to standard colonoscopy in its ability to accurately detect cancer and precancerous polyps, and it could serve as an initial screening exam for colorectal cancer.”
