(CBS) Medicare announced Tuesday it will not pay for so-called "virtual colonoscopies."In 2006, 200,000 of them were performed in the United States. Overall, Americans have more than 14 million colonoscopies every year, and doctors agree doing more would save thousands of lives.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook reports the government's rejection of the latest high-tech approach was a big disappointment to many advocates of colon cancer prevention.
Dr. Otis W. Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society says, "The American Cancer Society believes that virtual colonoscopy, or CT colonography, ought to be available as one of several options for colon cancer screening."
In a traditional colonoscopy, a fiberoptic instrument is used to examine the lining of the colon and remove polyps. In virtual colonoscopy, images of the colon are generated by a noninvasive body scan. Both have a similar detection rate for significant polyps; traditional colonoscopy usually costs at least twice as much. - CBS News Story
You want insight into how Nationalized Health Care will work? Well, here is a perfect example. They tell you what you can and can not have done. The Government! This is what everyone wants Obama to pursue? Are you out of your mind?
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