The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) applauded US representatives Ralph Hall (R-TX) and Danny Davis (D-IL) for reintroducing the CT Colonography Screening for Colorectal Cancer Act (H.R. 991), which would ensure Medicare coverage of computed tomography (CT) colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy. MITA has long supported a national coverage decision for CT colonography to expand access to the technology and save lives.
“MITA applauds this bipartisan effort to expand access to CT colonography, which has proven to increase compliance in patients who otherwise would avoid a diagnostic procedure that saves lives,” said Gail Rodriguez, MITA’s executive director. “We continue to urge the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to open a national coverage decision for CT colonography so that more American seniors have access to tools to diagnose colon cancer early, when it is most treatable.”
Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States, despite having a 90% cure rate when detected early. CT colonography uses low-dose x-rays to produce three-dimensional, moving images of the colon. Compared to the traditional optical exam, CT colonography is less invasive and does not require sedation.
