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Home > Medical Professionals > Health Policy and Government Relations > SAAAVE Act > AMA House of Delegates Unanimously Endorses Improving the AAA Medicare Screening

AMA House Of Delegates Unanimously Endorses Improving The AAA Medicare Screening

Resolution:  709 (I-07)
Introduced by: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Delegations
Subject: Improving the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening to Medicare
Referred to: Reference Committee J (Liana Puscas, MD, Chair)

Whereas, The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by ultrasonography in men age 65 to 75 years who have smoked tobacco; and

Whereas, The Society for Vascular Surgery and the Society for Vascular Medicine and Biology have even broader screening recommendations; and
 
Whereas, Section 611 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) amended the Medicare law to provide for coverage (effective January 1, 2005) of an Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE) that is only available to new beneficiaries within the first 6 months of their Part B coverage; and

Whereas, The utilization of this benefit by new enrollees is thus far an under-utilized benefit given its built-in restrictions and the nature of the ongoing preventive care of most new Medicare Part B recipients with their primary physicians; and
 
Whereas, Section 5112 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 amended section 1861 of the Act to include coverage of ultrasound screening for AAA effective January 1, 2007 for individuals (a) who have not been previously screened under Medicare; (b) who have a family history of AAA or manifest risk factors (as determined by the USPSTF); and (c) who receive a referral in the setting of an IPPE; and
 
Whereas, While acknowledging the importance of this validated screening test, the coverage for this test afforded by Section 5112 leaves out the vast majority of covered individuals, most notably anyone who has been insured by Medicare for more than six months (i.e. individuals age 65½ to 75), as well as anyone who is newly insured and fails to have an IPPE; and
 
Whereas, To extend this one-time screening for AAA to individuals not seen for an IPPE will require Congress to change the law to extend the benefits, therefore be it
 
RESOLVED, That our American Medical Association work with the United States Congress to extend coverage for one time abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening to all Medicare beneficiaries age 65 to 75  who have a family history of AAA or who manifest risk factors as determined by US Preventive Services Task Force. (Directive to Take Action)

Fiscal Note:  Implement accordingly at estimated staff cost of $4,365.

Received: 10/01/07