Prostate cancer screening coverage by Medicare "may be reasonable," OTA says.
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
PROSTATE CANCER SCREENING PROVISIONAL MEDICARE COVERAGE could provide an option to enable the Health Care Financing Administration to cover the test until further data are gathered to determine its usefulness, the Office of Technology Assessment suggests. Covering prostate specific antigen tests and digital rectal exams "on a temporary basis subject to reconsideration as evidence from clinical trials" becomes available could offer an alternative to permanent coverage, OTA says in a summary report released May 23 on the costs and effectiveness of prostate cancer screening.