Effective June 11, 2013, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ended the National Oncologic PET Registry (NOPR) which previously provided Medicare coverage for FDG PET imaging under the Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) program.
The new National Coverage Policy for Oncologic PET/CT imaging expanded covered indications. The policy also defined the number of scans that will be covered for a patient, per cancer. The National Coverage Policy allows one (1) scan for initial treatment strategy (diagnosis/initial staging) and up to three (3) scans per patient, per cancer for subsequent scans.
NCPIC will perform PET scans beyond the three (3) subsequent scans covered by the National Coverage Policy. These scans will be covered by the Local Medicare contractor as long as the scans are determined to be medically necessary. At the time the scan is ordered, NCPIC requests a short statement from the referring physician describing the reason the scan is medically necessary.
NOTE: When there is a NEW cancer diagnosis, a new count for initial and subsequent scans becomes effective.
View a table of the Expanded PET/CT Coverage, effective June 11, 2013.