Re: nuclear medicine financing

[Rachid Zitouni <azittouni@yahoo.com>]

This problem which is encountered in many countries
concerns not only isotope imaging but medical imaging
in general ( X-ray imaging, NMR, Ultrasonography,
etc.). Part of the reason is related to the exagerated
rates applied by both private and public health
centers. Another reason seems to be related to the
tendency in some places to prescribe imaging acts  to
patients who really don't need it (for lucrative
reasons).Therefore, being perceived as commercially
viable by some practitionners, medical imaging and,
subsequently the patients, run the risk to be
penalized heavily. The solution? 1)more ethics in the
profession; 2)optimized use of imaging modalities and
consumable products (isotopes, films, etc..) to help
bring down the cost of medical imaging; 3) and, last
but not least, introduce regulations to protect
patients against excessive radiation exposure.

Conclusion: in many countries, health insurance
companies cannot support anymore the huge costs of
public health; therefore, it tries to discourage both
doctors and patients from relying systematically on
radiation imaging and, in my opinion, this is not the
proper way to reach the desired goal. It is to be
borne in mind that medical imaging is a necessity not
a luxury.

Dr. Abderrachid Zitouni,
National Center of Radiation Protection, Algiers
azittouni@yahoo.com

--- Laszlo Toro <tlaszlo@mail.dnttm.ro> wrote:
> Hi Radsafers,
> 
> Should somebody help me in the following question:
> In my country there is an ongoing process in
> reforming the medical care
> system, all the medical procedures will be financed
> by the "National
> House of Health Assurance" (aproximate translation
> from romanian) and
> now appeared a list with the procedures wich will
> NOT be paid by the
> "House". In this list is a position "scintigraphy"
> without specifying
> the type of the procedure. This means the
> dissapearance of the nuclear
> medicine units, because the population is unable to
> pay these
> procedures.
> The question is: what is the situation in other
> countries, what types of
> scintigraphic procedures are paid by the medical
> assurances?
> I want to help my collegues from the Nucleare
> Medicine departements to
> make a documented lobby in this problem.
> 
> Please responde me in private e-mail on the address:
> tlaszlo@mail.dnttm.ro
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Laszlo Toro
> 
> Head of Radiation Hygiene Dept.
> Institute of Public Health Timisoara
> 
> RO 1900 Timisoara
> 16-18 V. Babes av.
> Romania
> 
> T:+40 56 192106
> F:+40 56 192101
> e-mail:tlaszlo@mail.dnttm.ro
> 
>
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