Dive Brief:
- Medicare is currently looking at a measure that would penalize physicians for ordering routine prostate-cancer screening tests, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- The proposal has just recently garnered attention, drawing a few hundred comments--mostly negative--in the final days of the comment period last week.
- The measure is part of CMS' efforts toward value-based care, though controversy is swirling over the question of risk vs. benefit for such routine screening.
Dive Insight:
While there has been much concern over the concept, CMS stresses it is only looking to discourage routine screenings as opposed to those for which there may be cause.
A CMS official told The Wall Street Journal the proposed measure only targets “non-recommended PSA screenings” when "under current clinical guidelines, it is not recommended for them.” She said the measure would not apply to medically necessary PSA tests. “Physicians can still order PSA tests if they feel the test is recommended or if the patient requests it,” the source said.
Currently, several medical groups recommend discussing the risks and benefits with patients and allowing them to decide whether to receive a PSA test. However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against routine screening since 2012.
The issue comes down to studies suggesting screening does not significantly, if at all, reduce the risk of death from prostate cancers. Some treatments in the form of surgery and radiation can have negative effects including impotence and incontinence.
Aggressive prostate cancers claim about 28,000 U.S. men every year, even with PSA tests and quick treatment.