Dr. Perry Pickhardt has appeared across many areas of media lately to discuss virtual (CT) colonography, from scientific publications to podcasts and more. His most recent project is to make sure Wisconsin legislators know the importance of this growing modality.
In October, a representative for Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., visited Dr. Pickhardt’s lab to learn more about the innovative research going into virtual colonography.
“The goal is to make our Wisconsin representatives and senators aware of our unique screening program and how our success could to greatly expanded to benefit all Medicare beneficiaries if Senate Bill S.2265 and Bill H.R. 4165 can be passed by Congress,” Dr. Pickhardt said. He also noted that Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., visited the lab last year.
S.2265 and H.R. 4165 provide that a colonography screening through CT would be covered under Medicare in the same way that non-virtual screening would, beginning in the 2014 fiscal year.
“Virtual colonography is a better, faster, safer, and cheaper relative to the current standard of invasive colonoscopy,” Dr. Pickhardt said, which is why he hopes to reach politicians about why the bills should be implemented.