PET/CT scans in Denver?

Does anyone happen to have the latest details on getting a PET/CT scan done over in Denver? I’m looking for phone numbers, an address, an email—pretty much anything you can dig up. I recall some discussion earlier regarding the search process itself, and there was talk about booking appointments through Salt Lake City, but apparently, they aren't accepting our patients anymore. That leaves us stuck looking at the Denver option for now. Thanks in advance, 🙏

Hey slyseal28,😉 There’s also the option of going with Budapest as part of that neurosurgery institute, which they’re aiming to turn into a major regional hub.🙄

I'm sending over an email with all the details you need,😉 though I'm definitely expecting a quick reply once you've had a look, okay?😉

He just wrapped up his sixth cycle. Before he can actually start radiation, we need to get a high-precision scan so the oncologist knows exactly how much SSGA we're dealing with. Right now, a PET/CT scan is the only way to go. To be honest, the PET scans here at the Mayo Clinic aren't up to par—at least, that’s what the oncologists there have told us. They aren't quite reliable enough. Apparently, they've ordered four new machines, but there is absolutely no way they'll arrive before the end of the year.
The closest, most reliable option currently is over in Denver. As for Budapest, this is actually the first I'm hearing that they offer that service there. Personally, I’m leaning toward Denver, if only because it makes the communication a bit easier. 😬

Sent this via email and PM too. Here’s that link regarding Budapest
Obviously everything is in Canadian though 😉
https://www.oiti.hu/oitiprosi_2.pdf

This past weekend, while my husband was recovering in the hospital, I watched this guy try to get Medicare to cover a PET/CT scan over in Denver. His oncologist had even written up the formal recommendation, but they still denied the claim, leaving him stuck footing the entire bill himself. 👎
Apparently, the bureaucrats are claiming there’s already a PET scanner available at the Mayo Clinic. But here’s the thing that makes absolutely no sense to me: according to his oncologist, the unit they have at the Mayo Clinic is just a standard PET, and it isn't nearly reliable enough for what he needs. What is a person even supposed to do in a situation like this??? 😈

I am not entirely sure. I wonder if it would be effective to hold a protest right outside the Medicare offices with a sign that reads, "I have cancer, and Medicare is denying me care"?
I’m certain that Kemik is going to start scrubbing his posts any minute now.

Just dropping what I already sent you in our private chat right here too.😉
If your doctor mentioned they have a PET scan available but hinted it might not be super reliable, they’ll likely suggest heading over to Denver—it's a really straightforward process there.

So, I'm guessing which doctor we're talking about here. Why don't you just ask them to put in a formal request to get that PET/CT done in Denver (even though Budapest is the main hub for this part of the world) and have them explain exactly why they're referring you out? Basically, if the local setup at Mayo Clinic isn't cutting it—and hopefully they have some solid reasons for saying so—then I say go for Denver or somewhere else entirely.

Medicare might not greenlight it right away (you'd be waiting forever, unfortunately), but if you hit them with hard facts, it shouldn't be an issue. Just because one person or a few others didn't get approval from Medicare doesn't mean you won't.

Come on, Charles Edwards8, go check the thread about hemochromatosis and see the question, please...

video, replied😉

So, I recently found out there’s this company operating out of Washington, D.C. that helps set up PET CT scans over in Budapest. We actually stumbled onto them through a medical journal. My uncle used them, and honestly, they’re pretty solid. They handle all the paperwork in English, help coordinate transport, organization... the whole nine yards. If Medicare doesn't cover the full reimbursement, the cost is around 1000 EUR—which is actually 500 less than what you'd pay in Austria.
Web address is http://www.dmgv.eu/petct/petct.html

Hey there!
My experience getting a PET CT scan was honestly pretty terrible. My oncologist over at Mayo Clinic requested one, but I just couldn't get an appointment at the local hospital—and since we were dealing with a suspected ovarian cancer recurrence, I didn't exactly have the luxury of waiting around indefinitely. I finally managed to snag the earliest possible slot at a university clinic in Vienna at AKZ. Honestly, the staff was great and the facility itself was phenomenal, plus the total price included the full expertise—meaning the report in both German and English, the CD, and a personal walkthrough from the professor explaining what they saw—all for 1,309 USD. But—and here’s the kicker—of course they refused to refund me anything... because apparently, you just have to wait until it's your turn, and if you don't, too bad. It was just so incredibly shady...
Sorry for the venting

Look, I think people are getting some basic concepts mixed up here. We're talking about PET/CT. It’s essentially two devices integrated into one unit that shows you both the location of a process and its cellular function and morphology. It operates on the same principles as PET and CT, just simultaneously. You end up with fused images afterward. A machine like that isn't available in the US yet, but they should be starting operations at the Mayo Clinic this November.

casualotter83 said:So, I recently found out there’s this company operating out of Washington, D.C. that helps set up PET CT scans over in Budapest. We actually stumbled onto them through a medical journal. My uncle used them, and honestly, they’re pretty solid. They handle all the paperwork in English, help coordinate transport, organization... the whole nine yards. If Medicare doesn't cover the full reimbursement, the cost is around 1000 EUR—which is actually 500 less than what you'd pay in Austria.
Web address is http://www.dmgv.eu/petct/petct.html

A PET/CT scan in Denver runs about $1,058.70 (and you get the CD, the images, and the report in both English and German).

Larry Vaughn53 said:Look, I think people are getting some basic concepts mixed up here. We're talking about PET/CT. It’s essentially two devices integrated into one unit that shows you both the location of a process and its cellular function and morphology. It operates on the same principles as PET and CT, just simultaneously. You end up with fused images afterward. A machine like that isn't available in the US yet, but they should be starting operations at the Mayo Clinic this November.

Wait, actually at the Napa Medical Center???

True, but it's a private clinic. Maybe there's a way to get Medicare to cover it eventually.

Larry Vaughn53 said:True, but it's a private clinic. Maybe there's a way to get Medicare to cover it eventually.

Look, don't go pinning all your hopes on Medicare. I highly doubt they’d ever cover something like that when they already think it's perfectly acceptable to make someone wait seven months on a waiting list for a neurological MRI before they even consider paying for a private specialist🙄. In my view, asking them to foot the bill for something like this would be way outside their comfort zone; it's just too much unnecessary testing for them to stomach.

It might just happen; after all, this would be the first one in America.

So, I saw some stuff popping up in the news outlets too—something about that new device finally arriving

The new PET-CT scanner just had its grand opening yesterday over at the Sisterhood of Mercy hospital. They're claiming it's the absolute cutting edge of medical tech.

Angela Wright said:The new PET-CT scanner just had its grand opening yesterday over at the Sisterhood of Mercy hospital. They're claiming it's the absolute cutting edge of medical tech.

The only problem is that the machines don't just run themselves. Is the staff operating them also considered the "cutting edge" of tech?
I mean, you need a massive amount of actual knowledge and hands-on experience to handle gear like that. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if their test results end up being a mess.