Although this is already April 2007, it is still not too late to promote or increase the awareness of colorectal cancer.

"COLORECTAL CANCER AWARENESS MONTH"

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  Is your practice or office organized to make sure that your patients are screened for colorectal cancer and get the appropriate follow-up? Several resources are available to help practitioners and their office staff to improve their practices – including delivery of colorectal cancer screening, referrals for screening, care transitions, and follow-up.

The American Cancer Society and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable developed a guide titled, What You Should Know about Screening for Colorectal Cancer: A Primary Care Clinician’s Evidence-Based Toolbox and Guide.  The guide is designed to help clinicians improve office practices to support colorectal cancer screening.  This resource is available at the following this link: Click Here

The American Cancer Society has developed materials to help support practitioners in discussing colorectal cancer screening with their patients. These resources include reminder letters, phone reminder scripts, brochures, and wall charts, and are available for downloading or ordering at the following this link: Click Here

For specific details on Medicare coverage criteria and billing procedures for colorectal cancer screening services, refer to Special Edition MLN Matters article SE0710 http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0710.pdf

Thank you for supporting CMS’ effort to increase awareness of colorectal cancer and the colorectal cancer screening benefit covered by Medicare.

Colorectal cancer is preventable, treatable, and beatable. Patients should be encouraged to get screened—it could save their lives."

The above article is minimally modified from Medicare eNews.

Suthin Liptawat,M.D.