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WASHINGTON — Medicare on Monday proposed ending restrictions on how many PET scans patients can receive to detect amyloid plaques in their brains, which will offer physicians more options as they treat patients with a new drug to slow the progression of dementia.

The agency that oversees Medicare had previously restricted coverage to a single scan for patients who participated in clinical studies. Advocates had warned that could cause issues related to a new class of Alzheimer’s drugs designed to clear those plaques.

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“We know there is significant interest in the medical community about new treatments that may be effective in slowing the development of Alzheimer’s disease. PET scans are an important part of diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a written statement.

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