|
|
 |
|
The
views expressed
on this page are soley those of the author and do not
necessarily
represent the views of County News Online
|
 |
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown
Protecting
Ohio’s Seniors from Unexpected Cancer Screening Costs
The preventive procedures covered by Medicare are critical to ensuring
that seniors live long healthy lives, regardless of their finances.
That’s why screening for colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of
cancer death for both men and women in the U.S., is so important.
Despite the risks, one in three adults between the ages of 50 and 75 is
not getting screened as recommended.
Cost should not be a barrier to screening. Under current law, Medicare
beneficiaries are eligible for free colorectal cancer screenings. But
if a doctor needs to take a further lifesaving, preventive action—like
removing a polyp—the screening is no longer free. Instead, the patient
is billed as if the procedure was treatment rather than preventive
measure.
The result is that if, during a colonoscopy, a doctor discovers a polyp
or other abnormal cell tissue, the patient receives an additional
charge. There’s no way to know before a colonoscopy whether a polyp
will be detected and removed, and because patients are not awake for
the procedure, they have no say in the removal. Patients wake up from
anesthesia with a new medical bill to worry about when they should be
focused on recovery. These surprise bills can put undue financial
strain on seniors that undergo screening and serve as a barrier to
screening.
Removing polyps or tissue is a way of getting rid abnormal cells before
they can become cancer. This cancer prevention procedure should be
covered by Medicare, as part of regular screenings.
To address this billing issue, I introduced The Removing Barriers to
Colorectal Cancer Screening Act. My legislation would keep colorectal
cancer screening procedures free by waiving the co-pay for removing
polyps or other tissue.
This month, I spoke at the Cleveland Clinic about the importance of
making sure that colorectal cancer screening and polyp removal is free
under Medicare. I was joined by Edwin Murphy, who lost his wife to
colorectal cancer, and is at high-risk himself. Edwin undergoes regular
screening and had 25 polyps removed at his first screening. If he did
not have supplemental Medicare coverage, he would have faced steep
bills after the procedure. Edwin’s wife did not get screened at age 50
as recommended and he believes that a preventive screening would have
most likely caught her cancer earlier or even prevented it.
Stories like those of Edwin and his wife remind us that Ohioans deserve
accessible preventive medical care. Fixing this billing flaw will not
only decrease costs, but save lives.
Sincerely,
Sherrod Brown
U.S. Senator
|
|
|
|
