Academic

NOT AFRAID OF THE LATEST MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: Obama got ?virtual colonoscopy.? ?The president was c?

By Glenn Reynolds

NOT AFRAID OF THE LATEST MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY: Obama got “virtual colonoscopy.” “The president was checked for and found free of colon cancer with a virtual colonoscopy, a scan that avoids the more invasive visual inspection with a camera device that is passed into the large intestine.” Hmm. So can I assume that an average 49-year-old man will be able to get one of those under ObamaCare?

UPDATE: Canadian reader Russ Smith writes:

I read your post concerning Obama’s virtual colonoscopy with interest. I live in the country regarded as America’s hat* (Canada).

Anyway, in the land of “free medicine” (cough) I just underwent a colonoscopy and had to wait over 8 months before they could squeeze me in. Good thing I didn’t have cancer percolating through me for all that time (the results were negative). I would settle for faster appointments let alone more modern techniques (sigh).

Interestingly, if you click on the “virtual colonscopy” link in the AP article you get 146 results. If you add “-obama” to the search criteria it drops down to 56 results (I had to do that as the original search had nothing but Obama for the first four pages). I came across this article stating that virtual colonoscopies are not covered under Medicare. So you can bet your sweet bippy they won’t be covered under Obamacare.

My bippy is pretty sweet, so I’m not putting it on the block over this question, especially as radiologist Girish Patel writes in agreement:

I was pleasantly surprised to learn from your post that President Obama underwent virtual colonoscopy.

I am a radiologist in active practice, and I can assure you that CMS (Medicare) currently does not pay for this procedure and it is considered experimental ? even thought we have been doing it for almost 10 years.

The statement on CMS website says: ??evidence is inadequate to conclude that CT colonography is an appropriate colorectal cancer screening test? to be covered for Medicare beneficiaries.?

So if Michael Kinsley’s definition of rationing holds — when the President can get a treatment that ordinary Americans can’t — then we’re already there. Quoth Kinsley: “Here is a handy-dandy way to determine whether the failure to order some exam or treatment constitutes rationing: If the patient were the president, would he get it? If he’d get it and you wouldn’t, it’s rationing.” So what’s the likelihood that Obamacare would narrow the gap between you and the President, as compared to the current government system of Medicare? Too slim to bet my sweet bippy on, that’s for sure. . . .

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on March 01, 2010 (boomark / email).