Medicare Coverage Expands The Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children's Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) Benefits Improvement and Protection Act (BIPA) signed into law December 2000, expands Medicare coverage for additional services. Changes listed below will become effective July 1, 2001, with others implemented at a later date.   Effective July 1, 2001 Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis will be eligible to receive professional services from physicians enrolled in the Medicare program, without a waiting period.   Screening colonoscopies for patients not considered at high risk for development of colorectal cancer will be covered once every 119 months.   Screening colonoscopies will be reimbursed once every 24 months for patients that are at high risk for development of colorectal cancer.   Screening pap smears for patients without identifiable cervical cancer risk factors will be covered once every 24 months   Screening pap smears for patients with identifiable risk factors will be covered every 12 months.   PET scan coverage expansion to identify lymphoma, colorectal, melanoma, lung, head, neck, and esophageal cancers.   Effective January 2002 Screening of patients at risk for blindness due to a personal or family history of Glaucoma or Diabetes. Information will be made available as it develops.   Return to Contents | Return to Billing Compliance