Colon scans not covered

In a final decision released May 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a memo that it wouldn't cover colon screenings with CT devices. The agency concluded that "the evidence is not sufficient to conclude that screening CT colonography improves health benefits for asymptomatic, average risk Medicare beneficiaries." Supporters of virtual colonoscopies contend that, because the scans are far less invasive than the traditional colonoscopies, more patients are likely to take the test and thus the disease is more likely to be detected.