LAFRA PPO Medical Plan
The maximum coverage for a body scan has been increased to $700 per person. There is a limit of one scan every three years. This benefit is for Relief PPO Medical Plan members.
LAFRA has contracted with provider Medical Imaging Center of Southern California. If you get your body scan from MICSC, your will receive (at no out-of-pocket expense):
• MRI abdomen and pelvis scan for liver, kidneys, adrenals, pancreas and spleen
• Heart scan, including calcium score and CT coronary angiogram
• Low-dose Lung CT – lung cancer screening
“A body scan can detect various cancers and common malignancies that a standard physical can miss…”
Why is body scanning important?
Heart and lung disease are responsible for more than half of all deaths in the United States each year. Most of these cancers progress slowly over time causing no immediate symptoms. As a result, they are diagnosed after symptoms have occurred. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 3% to 35% of cancer deaths could be avoided through screening. A body scanning can detect various cancers and common malignancies that a standard physical can miss. Discovering disease before symptoms occur allows for more effective treatment that is less costly or invasive.
How accurate is body scanning?
Because this technology is new, results from long-term studies of survival rates, cost-effectiveness, and patient outcomes are not available. Experts in the field report that as many as 95% of their patients have positive findings on their body scans. Approximately 33% of these findings are clinically significant, meaning that they may cause symptoms, require treatment, or need additional evaluation. An advantage of body scanning is that the radiologist can precisely locate and measure disease within the body.
The findings of a body scan can be valuable information for the physician and patient about certain conditions that may cause future problems, but do not indicate a more serious pathology. For example, a kidney stone does not warrant immediate treatment, but the patient and family physician can be aware that this stone may eventually cause pain for the patient or require removal.
It is important to understand that a body scan should not be used as a substitute for standard medical checkups by a primary care physician (PCP). A body scan is intended to serve as a complement to a regular physical and to provide your PCP with a better, more complete picture of your overall health. A clear scan is not a clean bill of health and any new symptoms or conditions that develop after your study should be discussed with your PCP.
Who should have a body scanning?
Body scanning is recommended for individuals over age 35, especially those at high risk for several diseases. Follow-up scanning is recommended every 5 years. Smokers and other patients at high risk for various diseases should consider follow-up scanning closer to every 3 years. Body scanning should not be substituted for a physical by a family physician, but should be used as a compliment to regular medical care.
Visit micsc.com to find more about this provider or call (310) 829-9788. Consult your personal physician before undergoing health tests. All benefits are subject to change. For questions about the Relief PPO Medical Plan, call (866) 995-2372.