In 2001, Medicare coverage for screening colonoscopy in average-risk older people was implemented. The effect of this policy on gastroenterology practices has been enormous; but, obviously, whether detection of colorectal cancer has been improved by the higher rate of screening colonoscopies is of greater consequence.
Researchers obtained rates of colonoscopy among older people (age, ≥67) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data and a Medicare-linked database. Three periods were considered: 1992 through 1997 (no Medicare coverage for colonoscopy screening), January 1998 through June 2001 (limited coverage for screening), and July 2001 through December 2002 (full coverage for screening). The primary outcome was the stage of colorectal tumors at diagnosis.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552210?rss
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