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Scheduling a PET exam-773-702-0336 (2-0336) As noted in the PET overview section, PET imaging operates in a heavily regulated insurance environment. CMS (Medicare) and therefore many private insurers will only cover specific approved indications for Cardiac, Neurologic, and Whole Body Oncologic PET exams (see specific PET sections elsewhere on this site for those approved indications). For this reason, essentially every medical center in the country requires a prescreening and approval process prior to performing a PET exam. (If the indication is not approved by Medicare or private insurers, a patient may still choose to receive a PET study, but may be required to pay for the entire exam themselves—on the order of several thousand dollars depending on the exam). The good news is that our PET center coordinator will handle much of the pre-approval process for you. The simplest and most direct way to schedule a PET exam is to call the PET scheduling office at 773-702-0336 (2-0336 for in-hospital inquiries). Our coordinator will assist you in providing the appropriate information, navigating the pre-approval process, and scheduling a time and date for the exam. If our office is busy, please leave a message and you will be contacted soon, generally before 5 PM the same day. You may also fax the two required forms—a general radiology requisition and a separate PET supplemental form to 773-702-0350 (2-0350) to get the process started. Please be sure to leave a contact name and number on the form. To download a PET supplemental form click here or call 2-0336 Depending on the type of insurance, the length of the pre-approval process will vary. If it is a Medicare patient for an approved indication, the process generally only takes one or two days, with a patient often actually having a PET exam the day after the initial request is made. For non-Medicare, privately insured patients, the process can take anywhere from one or two days to a couple of weeks, depending on the specific insurance plan and the indication. Again, our coordinator will assist in making this process as quick and painless as possible. |
