@mazeppabob Wow! The PSA test has been a regular test with my physician. Sounds like your father in law could have used a different doctor.
Tony in Michigan

My current urologist is in the camp of tracking PSA, taking ultrasounds and MRI over digital exam (and will only do biopsy when the MRI shows there's something to check into). His logic is that the digital exam detects only a fraction of one side of the prostate so lesions "hiding" out of the range of detection are completely invisible. (I can attest to the validity of his position because my father had BPH and high PSA and his doctor regularly performed digital exams which revealed NOTHING. Unfortunately, prostate cancer wasn't detected until it had metastasized and was discovered as a skin lesion.)

As far as medicare, I think that any man who wants a prostate exam should see a urologist. I see mine twice a year and the visits and tests are covered. A GP also might not do enough prostate work to be as up to date as a urologist.

Sidebar on medicare: My anuual physical always included a vitamin panel which was very useful to determine which supplements were effective and needed and which supplements I didn't need. This year, my physical didn't include the vitamin panel. Doc explained that medicare doesn't cover it anymore so he stopped ordering it. I had him do it and paid for it myself.