Medicare Expands Coverage of PET Scans Based on Evidence Development Project

Shows pet scans as “reasonable and necessary” for initial treatment decisions of most solid tumor cancers

April 6, 2009 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today issued a final national coverage determination (NCD) to expand coverage for initial testing with positron emission tomography (PET) scan for Medicare beneficiaries who are diagnosed with and treated for most solid tumor cancers.

 

This NCD removes a clinical study requirement for PET scan use in these patients. 

 

Since 2005, Medicare coverage of PET scans for diagnosing some forms of cancer and guiding treatment has been tied to a requirement that providers to collect clinical information about how the scans have affected doctors’ treatment decisions.....

Medicare Expands Coverage of PET Scans Based on Evidence Development Project