A Report on Health Resource Use in Internal Radiation Therapy with Radium Chloride (²²³Ra) (2^nd Survey)

Abstract

Internal radiation therapy using radium (²²³Ra) chloride injection (²²³Ra injection) is already being applied in actual clinical practice, however the NHI medical technical fee for the use of ²²³Ra injection has not yet been set. The Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine surveyed health resource use for internal radiation therapy using ²²³Ra via questionnaires sent to medical institutions that have used ²²³Ra injection. Results showed that the necessary cost per patient is 1,005,567 JPY, based on the Draft Proposal for Medical Examination Value (Ver. 7.1) of the Japanese Health Insurance Federation for Surgery. ²²³Ra injection is supposed to be administered 6 times to each patient at 4-week intervals, and the fee per treatment was calculated to be 167,595 JPY. The appropriate NHI medical technical fee is thus considered to be 16,759 points per patient per treatment, which can be claimed 6 times per patient.