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Wall Street Journal Article on PSA Testing

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Posted 11/20/2015 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Opinions on the merits of PSA screening have been discussed on this board many times in the past. I'm posting this because it is of interest to most of us here, but am hoping not to re-launch any heated debate.

In short, the article discusses a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services comment period which ends today, for a proposed measure to penalize doctors who order routine prostate screening tests. The article says comments have been mostly against the proposed measure. Please note that the proposed measure wouldn't penalize tests for "those with a history of prostate cancer or enlarged prostate, prior elevated PSA levels, or those taking certain medications for prostate issues."

www.wsj.com/article_email/doctors-could-be-penalized-for-ordering-prostate-tests-1447993920-lMyQjAxMTE1MzI3MDkyNDA1Wj
Posted 11/20/2015 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
As I've said before... I was diagnosed G7 at age 41. No family history. Caucasian. Negative DRE. My doctor violated accepted medical protocol by ordering a PSA test. In doing so, he probably saved my life.

Society should not reduce screening for deadly diseases. Rather, we should educate patients/doctors on how to deal with the results of those screenings.

Gedman
Posted 11/20/2015 10:47 PM (GMT 0)
Another example of "we're the gubment, and we're here to help you"

Sorry, couldn't help myself.
crap like this just pisses me off. I especially like the part where it says, the exceptions dont mention men with a family history. Sorry son, no PSA screening for you, unlike me, you'll just have to take your chances.
Posted 11/20/2015 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
What I'd like to know, seriously, whether any of these proposals, recommendations, or whatever you call them, are actually based on medical or scientific evidence rather than 'cost' or 'value'? I haven't seen any such thing.
Posted 11/21/2015 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
If you think about it, the cost of testing and treatment is likely to be at the expense of an insurance company if you are under 65 or over 65 with a Medicare Advantage Plan. Is that fact buying influence with the CMMS about its recommendations?
Posted 11/22/2015 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
So would the penalties be just for docs billing to Medicare? Medicare and insurance companies?

I was diagnosed because my employer required a very comprehensive medical checkup every year for deployment to Antarctica. This includes a full blood panel, including PSA. I would not have been diagnosed without it. Given that my pathology came back as a G7 with margins less than 1mm, it seems like it was good that it was caught, but others on here would know better than I.

In any case, I suspect that penalties would not be levied in this case, given that the employer pays for it directly.
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