Kern Legacy Health Plan | A Legacy of Good Health | Summer 2015

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Your doctor can perform x-rays and OB ultrasounds in his or her office with no
prior authorization. CT, MRI, PET and non-OB ultrasounds must be performed at a
network facility and may require plan approval. For more information or to find
out which facilities and providers are in-network, call Member Services at
661-868-3280 or toll-free at 1-855-308-5547 (KLHP). You can also visit
our website at .
inside story
TO get a closer look at what’s happening inside the body, doctors often rely
on an array of imaging techniques. The pictures captured by these machines
play a pivotal role in managing many medical problems. Here’s a snapshot of
some of those techniques and their
unique advantages.
Magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI). Powerful
magnetic fields and radio
waves, instead of x-ray
radiation, are how these
images are made. Compared
to other imaging, MRI is
often better at showing
ligaments and cartilage
in a joint and telling
the difference between
diseased and normal tissue.
Computed tomography (CT). With its
rotating beam and sophisticated software, CT
scanning takes standard x-ray imaging to the next
level by creating cross-sectional images, called
slices, of organs and tissues. The software can
even reassemble the images in 3-D.
Ultrasound. This radiation-free
imaging method is used for prena-
tal checkups and a lot more. Doctors
can use ultrasound to look at organs
in real time or at blood flowing
through a vein, for example. It
works by sending out sound waves
and detecting their echoes.
Positron emission tomography (PET).
This nuclear medicine imaging technique can
show both an organ’s structure and how it’s
working. PET makes use of a radioactive tracer,
which is either injected into the body, swallowed
or inhaled as a gas, to produce pictures that are
detected by a special camera or imaging device.
PET is often used to find cancer and determine
blood flow to the heart.
The
X-rays. This is the oldest form of
medical imaging and still the most
used. And for good reason: It’s read-
ily available, relatively inexpensive
and fast to perform, often making it
the right choice for spotting things
such as broken bones.
Sources: Radiological Society of North America; U.S. Food and Drug
Administration
661-868-3280