Insurance Coverage – Endovascular Stent Grafts Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA)

Medicare Benefits for AAA Screening

Hundreds of thousands of Americans who will receive Medicare benefits will now have access to an important tool for fighting vascular disease: a free abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening.

Noninvasive Screening

Abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and an estimated 15,000 seniors die from abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture each year. Now, for the first time, new Medicare beneficiaries at risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm will have the opportunity to be screened using painless and noninvasive ultrasound technology.

The SAAAVE Act

The Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act, which was enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Bush, effective January 1, 2007.

This abdominal aortic aneurysm screening will be available for men who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes and men and women with a family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm. In order to be reimbursed, this screening must be part of the Welcome to Medicare physical.

Ask Your Doctor

All recently eligible Medicare beneficiaries are encouraged to call their doctors and take advantage of this improved access to abdominal aortic aneurysm screening. The test is quick and painless, involving a simple ultrasound on the abdomen, similar to a pregnancy ultrasound.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm often has no warning signs present, and screening is an effective way to detect the presence of a potentially life-threatening aneurysm.

Contact your local doctor for more information.