Virtual Colonoscopy Endorsements Could Lead to Insurance Coverage

BAR HARBOR — The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology and the U.S. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer have endorsed virtual colonoscopy as a screening option for colorectal cancer in average-risk adults age 50 years and older.

The endorsement is a step toward insurance reimbursement for virtual colonoscopy as the primary screening method for the disease.

Virtual colonoscopy uses a CT scanner to capture a series of images of the colon, which are then assembled with software to create detailed, 3-D images of the patient’s colon. A radiologist can then conduct a “fly through” of the colon to look for polyps or anything else that seems unusual on the inside surface of the colon.

source: The Ellsworth American