The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have said they intend to extend Medicare coverage for Positronic Emission Tomography called FDG-PET imaging procedure that will help provide a more precise diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. It will enable Medicare beneficiaries with suspected Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia access to the technology where clinical evaluation has been inconclusive. The CMS have laid down guidelines for the appropriate use of the FDG-PET scan.
By allowing an earlier diagnosis people experiencing signs of dementia will have the oportunity to seek treatments currently available, get the best possible care with appropriate evaluative and care staff and allow greater input in planning for the future.
The use of PET scan has come about as a result of extensive consultation with independant experts analyzing clinical and scientific evidence. The CMS state that the use of PET is not able to diagnose pre-Alzheimer's conditions. The technology will continue to be evaluated in clinical trial to assess its effectiveness in diagnosing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
