Medicare will not pay for "virtual" colonoscopy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Medicare will not pay for so-called virtual colonoscopy, or CT colonography.

"Evidence is inadequate to conclude" that CT colonography is an appropriate colorectal cancer screening test for Medicare patients, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said on Tuesday in a statement on its website.

The decision finalizes a February proposal from CMS.

The American Cancer Society and other groups had argued in favor of Medicare coverage of the scans, saying they could motivate seniors to undergo a screening test they might otherwise avoid.

The CTC Working Group, a coalition of doctors, patients and imaging equipment manufacturers, urged Medicare to reconsider the ruling.

Virtual colonoscopy "can overcome patient objections to being screened, detect cancer early when it is most treatable, and ultimately save lives. If CMS will not reconsider this coverage decision, Congress should vote to mandate Medicare coverage" of the technology, Dr. James Thrall, chair of the American College of Radiology Board of Chancellors, said in a statement issued by the coalition.

Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.