Questions & Answers - Health Screenings

Medicare does not currently allow for coverage of our health screenings.  All insurance policies are different and vary from policy to policy.  We will provide a detailed receipt that can be submitted to your insurance company to determine coverage.  You should also make a copy of your results to send along.  

No. Most physicians can only order diagnostic test if you are experiencing symptoms.  They are not able to order them as a preventive measure.  Most insurance providers do not cover the cost of “preventive” health screening.  

Many of our customers come back on a yearly basis.  This is a personal decision based on your family history, age and other risk factors and the results of your screenings. Since plaque build-up is a progressive disease, many people feel comfortable being screened annually as part of their preventive healthcare regimen.

Our goal at The Ultrasound Zone is to have your results mailed within 7 business days.

The results of your health screening will be sent to your.  If your results are within the normal range, your will receive a letter explaining the results and a written report of these results for your to share with your personal care physician.  If we recommend further evaluation, you will receive a letter explaining your results, a written report of the screening results and pictures of your scan so you can follow up with your physician.  

The National Stroke Association (NSA) states that your risk of stroke doubles when you reach your 50’s.  We also see people in their 40’s.  If someone has a family history of stroke or AAA, we will screen him or her at a younger age.  

Your body’s warning signs often come too late.  More than half of the individuals who have a stroke show no symptoms prior to the attack.  Therefore, it is important to have a screening to identify problems before symptoms arise.  The vast majority of individuals who have an abdominal aortic aneurysm also have no symptoms.  The mortality rate of a ruptured AAA is greater than 80%.  These are some reasons why health screening is important.  

The objective of a preventative health screening is to separate the normal from the abnormal findings and send that person with abnormal finding on for further follow-up diagnostic testing to examine the extent of the disease. The idea of a screening study is it should be inexpensive, readily available and very reliable.  However, no study is 100% accurate.  Therefore, people with questionable or abnormal health screenings are referred to their primary care physician for further diagnostic testing.

We screen for the leading cause of stroke that is related to plaque build-up in the carotid arteries.  Strokes may also result from a brain hemorrhage, clots from the heart, or clots from other areas of the body.  For these types of strokes there are no screenings.  

A pacemaker will not interfere with the screening.

We recommend screening to track the progression of the disease.  However, if you have a history of heart disease or stroke, check with your personal care physician first.  Diagnostic Screening test may be covered by insurance under those circumstances.

A person who currently has DVT should not participate in health screening for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD).  However, a person with previous DVT can only participate with health screenings for PAD after consulting with their primary physician to provide a note stating that currently there is no DVT present.  Persons with previous DVT are encouraged to participate with health screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) and Stroke / Carotid Artery Disease.  

We use ABI results to calculate Peripheral Artery Disease.  That requires pressures to be taken of both arms and both ankles.  When a person has had one breast removed we can still obtain results with use of only one arm.  However, when both breast have been removed, we require written permission from your primary care provider to perform the test.