Medicare reimbursements high for digital mammography — though test may be no more effective than less expensive ones

iWatch News: Digital Mammography No Better Than Film For Most Women, Despite Increased Costs
High-tech, digital mammography may not be any better at detecting breast cancer in women over 65 than older film-based systems, but Medicare is spending millions of taxpayer dollars reimbursing the procedure at a far higher rate. A new study comparing digital mammography with less expensive film mammography found that the two types of breast cancer screens are equally effective at detecting cancers in most women. ... The study was performed by the National Cancer Institute-funded Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (Eaton, 10/17).