Colonoscopy screening may be overused among Medicare patients

Colonoscopy can be a lifesaver. But it appears that some doctors are overdoing the procedure in older patients with Medicare benefits.

University of Texas researchers examined thousands of Medicare records and identified more than 24,000 patients who tested negative at their first colonoscopy.

In that group, nearly one in four received a second colonoscopy within seven years. None of the records among these patients indicated any reasons why follow-up colonoscopies would be necessary before the recommended 10-year interval.

In addition, one-third of healthy patients 80 years old or older received early follow-up procedures.

Researchers also determined that overuse of colonoscopy was higher in “high-volume colonoscopy settings.”

That’s a nice way of saying that some doctors appear to be taking advantage of Medicare coverage by encouraging patients to have colonoscopies more frequently than needed.

If you’re in good health and have no obvious colorectal cancer risk factors, don’t let your doctor railroad you into an unnecessary screening.

Source:
“Colonoscopy screenings may occur more often than recommended; benefit uncertain in some older adults” Press release, 5/9/11, eurekalert.org