[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-289055-105":59,"doc-detail-289055-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","magnetic-resonance-cholangiopancreatography-mrcp-policy-32","Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) - Policy 32","","Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) policy defines medical necessity and coverage criteria under Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Coverage applies when MRCP supports diagnosis of suspected pancreaticobiliary pathology without therapeutic intervention, when ERCP is inconclusive, or when altered anatomy or suspected congenital anomalies make ERCP unsafe or infeasible. The document also outlines evaluation technology requirements, describes MRCP procedure characteristics and advantages, and contrasts MRCP with ERCP, including ERCP adverse effects and failure risks.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/magnetic-resonance-cholangiopancreatography-mrcp-policy-32/289055/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/magnetic-resonance-cholangiopancreatography-mrcp-policy-32/289055.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Aria","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-17",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does MRCP show and how is it performed in imaging terms?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"MRCP is a noninvasive imaging method that shows fluid in the biliary and pancreatic ducts in axial or three-dimensional image format, using heavily T2-weighted sequences to depict fluid-containing bile ducts as high-signal intensity structures.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"When does Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama consider MRCP covered?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Coverage is met when criteria such as suspected pancreaticobiliary pathology requiring diagnosis without therapeutic intervention, inconclusive ERCP requiring further evaluation, altered anatomy precluding ERCP, suspected congenital anomalies, infant/debilitated cases where ERCP is unsafe, or documented iodine-based contrast allergy are present.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does ERCP compare with MRCP regarding safety and limitations?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"ERCP is described as the gold standard with highest resolution and therapeutic capability, but it carries adverse effects including procedure-induced pancreatitis, sepsis, bleeding, perforation, unsuccessful cannulation, and a stated mortality rate. MRCP is noninvasive and can avoid diagnostic-only ERCP, but has limited therapeutic capability and constraints in comparability and certain cancer resectability information.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},289055,1790173450,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":19,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":52},2336464648322,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/2200025388227c56fec?_k=1778556882303663488","Name of Policy:  \nMagnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)  \nPolicy \\#: 032  \nCategory: Laboratory  \nLatest Review Date: January 2008 Policy Grade: Effective 02/01/2011:  \nActive Policy but no longer scheduled for regular literature reviews and updates.  \nBackground/Definitions:  \nAs a general rule, benefits are payable under Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama health plans only in cases of medical necessity and only if services or supplies are not investigational, provided the customer group contracts have such coverage.  \nThe following Association Technology Evaluation Criteria must be met for a service/supply to be considered for coverage:  \n1. The technology must have final approval from the appropriate government regulatory bodies;  \n2. The scientific evidence must permit conclusions concerning the effect of the technology on health outcomes;  \n3. The technology must improve the net health outcome;  \n4. The technology must be as beneficial as any established alternatives;  \n5. The improvement must be attainable outside the investigational setting.  \nMedical Necessity means that health care services (e.g., procedures, treatments, supplies, devices, equipment, facilities or drugs) that aphysician, exercising prudent clinical judgment, would provide to a patient for the purpose ofpreventing, evaluating, diagnosing or treating an illness, injury or disease or its symptoms, and that are:  \n1. In accordance with generally accepted standards of medical practice; and  \n2. Clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent, site and duration and considered effective for the patient’s illness, injury or disease; and  \n3. Not primarily for the convenience of the patient, physician or other health care provider; and  \n4. Not more costly than an alternative service or sequence of services at least as likely to produce equivalent therapeutic or diagnostic results as to the diagnosis or treatment of that patient’s illness, injury or disease.  \nDescription of Procedure or Service:  \nMagnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography is a noninvasive imaging method that shows fluid in the biliary and pancreatic ducts in an axial or three-dimensional image format. This technique is comparable in appearance and diagnostic accuracy to radiographic techniques seen with direct contrast endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) . Advantages of MRCP include: (1) MRCP does not require administration of exogenous contrast materials; and (2) the potential avoidance of a purely diagnostic ERCP with its potential complications of cholangitis and post-ERCP pancreatitis. The major disadvantages of MRCP are: (1) the lack of therapeutic capability; (2) MRCP images are not satisfactorily comparable to those provided by ERCP; (3) inability to provide information with regard to resectability of pancreatic cancer; and (4) MRCP equipment is not available at every institution.  \nPolicy:  \nMagnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography meets Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s medical criteria for coverage when any of the following are met:  \n1. Patient requires diagnosis of suspected pancreaticobiliary pathology without therapeutic intervention  \n2. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is inconclusive and patient needs further evaluation or patient requires definition of pancreaticobiliary anatomy proximal to a biliary tract system obstruction that can not be opened by ERCP  \n3. Patient has altered biliary tract anatomy that precludes ERCP (e.g., postsurgical biliary tract alterations, prior gastrectomy, choledochojejunostomy, etc.)  \n4. Evaluation of a suspected congenital anomaly of the pancreaticobiliary tract (e.g., aberrant ducts, choledochal cysts, pancreas divisum, etc.)  \n5. Patient is an infant or is so debilitated or uncooperative that ERCP is unsafe or can not be performed  \n6. Patient has a documented allergy to iodine based contrast  \nBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama does not approve or deny procedur","cbCaigP7XWT5fw91","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigP7XWT5fw91","pdf",46368,"English","# Policy Information\n## Background/Definitions\n## Medical Necessity\n## Description of Procedure or Service\n## Policy Coverage Criteria\n## Key Points and Clinical Comparison","[{\"question\":\"What does MRCP show and how is it performed in imaging terms?\",\"answer\":\"MRCP is a noninvasive imaging method that shows fluid in the biliary and pancreatic ducts in axial or three-dimensional image format, using heavily T2-weighted sequences to depict fluid-containing bile ducts as high-signal intensity structures.\"},{\"question\":\"When does Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama consider MRCP covered?\",\"answer\":\"Coverage is met when criteria such as suspected pancreaticobiliary pathology requiring diagnosis without therapeutic intervention, inconclusive ERCP requiring further evaluation, altered anatomy precluding ERCP, suspected congenital anomalies, infant/debilitated cases where ERCP is unsafe, or documented iodine-based contrast allergy are present.\"},{\"question\":\"How does ERCP compare with MRCP regarding safety and limitations?\",\"answer\":\"ERCP is described as the gold standard with highest resolution and therapeutic capability, but it carries adverse effects including procedure-induced pancreatitis, sepsis, bleeding, perforation, unsuccessful cannulation, and a stated mortality rate. MRCP is noninvasive and can avoid diagnostic-only ERCP, but has limited therapeutic capability and constraints in comparability and certain cancer resectability information.\"}]","Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) - Policy 32 | PDF",1789634469]