Oprah Winfrey advises of the 6 most important questions to ask if you are having a procedure at an out of hospital facility. See the article at Oprah.com here. This is not an endorsement by Oprah, these are answers from our facility to the questions she recommends you ask. Wherever you have your procedure, ask
Half-siblings of people with colon cancer have nearly the same colon cancer risk as full siblings do — a 6% cumulative lifetime risk compared with 7% — and a higher risk than other second-degree relatives have, researchers recently reported. The risk may be due both to genetics and to shared environmental factors, and the finding
The CMS said the average amount they pay for a colonoscopy at an ambulatory surgery center is $488, compared with $936 at a hospital outpatient center. This payment does not include the patient’s responsibilities, deductibles, copayments, and cost of uncovered services. Still, it underscores important differences in costs, overhead, net charges, and payments on your
The recent issue of Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology addresses the American Cancer Society’s new recommendation to lower the age of initial screening for colon cancer from 50 to 45. The recommendation follows a small spike in younger patients having colon cancer. However, those patients are not necessarily 45-50. Actually, patients in their 20’s are the
A study of Medicaid patients showed that those who received fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) in the mail were more likely to complete colorectal cancer screening than those who were just reminded. Colorectal cancer is more treatable if caught early, but only about 63% of the population is screened, and the rate drops further among vulnerable
In response to an increase in colorectal cancer rates in younger people, the American Cancer Society released a change in its screening guidelines to recommend adults at average risk begin CRC screening starting at age 45 instead of 50. Not all health societies, government models, or payors have responded yet. However, the news does reflect
The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer found cancer diagnoses and deaths in the US overall have been decreasing for men and women, mainly due to better treatments, prevention and screening in colorectal, lung and breast cancers. Prostate cancer death rates stabilized, however, after years of decline, and cases of oral
A recent study showed that men who watched more than four hours of TV daily had a 35% higher risk of colorectal cancer, compared with those who watched for no more than one hour per day. The study did not find a similar association among women but noted that men with higher levels of physical activity had
Colonoscopies cost Medicare 164% more when they’re performed in a hospital outpatient department rather than independent physician offices, according to a recent report by Physicians Advocacy Institute and Avalere. The study showed the stark disparity in payment between settings based on ownership. “Hospital consolidation pushes healthcare costs upward,” said Robert Seligson, president of Physicians Advocacy
