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FAQ (PET and Insurance
Coverage) |
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Is PET safe? |
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A: |
Absolutely, the dose of
radioactivity is very low and is comparable to other
nuclear medicine scans and less than a CT. For
precautionary measures, we don't recommend PET for
pregnant or nursing women. |
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Q: |
Are there any side effects? |
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A: |
No. You should be fine during
and after the scan. |
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Q: |
Does
my doctor have to refer me in order to be covered? |
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A: |
Yes,
typically you will need to get your physician to refer you
for a PET in order to be covered by insurance. |
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| Q: |
Will
Medicare reimburse my PET scan? |
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A: |
Yes.
Medicare will cover PET scans for pulmonary, heart,
breast, lymphoma, head & neck, colon, as well as other
types of cancer. |
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| Q: |
What
if I have insurance coverage by my employer? |
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A: |
Coverage will depend on your insurance plan, but generally
most insurance companies cover PET. |
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| Q: |
What
if my insurance does not cover the PET Scan? |
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A: |
You can appeal the insurance
carrier's decision not to cover your PET or you can pay
for the scan yourself. |
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| Q: |
Can I pay for my PET scan out
of pocket? |
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A: |
Yes. We accept any
major credit card, personal check, and cash. You will
receive two bills, one for the hospital fees, and the other
for the physician's fees. |
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| Q: |
What if I have Medicaid? |
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A: |
Coverage will need to be
worked out prior to your PET scan. |
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| Q: |
I heard that I can use a PET
scan in place of a mammography. Is this true? |
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A: |
No. the two have totally
different purposes. A mammography is used to detect
suspicious masses, while a PET scan determines if and
where a breast cancer has spread. |
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| Q: |
What if
my doctor doesn’t know about PET? |
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A: |
Have
your doctor call our PET Center at 547-7077 and speak to
one of our nuclear medicine physicians or radiologists. |
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