CMS spares cardiac CTA reimbursement cuts
The imaging industry can breathe a sigh of relief. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced it has decided not to issue a national coverage determination for cardiac CTA at this time, a decision that would have drastically limited patient access to cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). The much-anticipated decision had been expected from the agency tomorrow.
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA that has lobbied hard to stop the potential cuts, today praised CMS’ decision. “MITA applauds CMS for following through on its commitment to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all the data before issuing its final CCTA coverage decision,” said MITA Vice President Andrew Whitman. “This revised decision will benefit countless Americans who would have been needlessly subjected to more invasive and expensive in-patient procedures if CMS’ proposed decision had been accepted.”
“CMS should be commended for considering the full scope of established evidence and clinical analysis in formulating its CCTA decision,” Whitman said. “CCTA has revolutionized the way doctors diagnose heart disease and I am pleased that CMS’ final decision acknowledges CCTA’s scientifically proven effectiveness.”
CCTA is used in more than 2,000 centers nationwide and has been approved by local Medicare carriers in all 50 states, according to MITA.
Health Imaging News will provide more details on the CMS decision tomorrow as they become available.
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA), a division of NEMA that has lobbied hard to stop the potential cuts, today praised CMS’ decision. “MITA applauds CMS for following through on its commitment to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all the data before issuing its final CCTA coverage decision,” said MITA Vice President Andrew Whitman. “This revised decision will benefit countless Americans who would have been needlessly subjected to more invasive and expensive in-patient procedures if CMS’ proposed decision had been accepted.”
“CMS should be commended for considering the full scope of established evidence and clinical analysis in formulating its CCTA decision,” Whitman said. “CCTA has revolutionized the way doctors diagnose heart disease and I am pleased that CMS’ final decision acknowledges CCTA’s scientifically proven effectiveness.”
CCTA is used in more than 2,000 centers nationwide and has been approved by local Medicare carriers in all 50 states, according to MITA.
Health Imaging News will provide more details on the CMS decision tomorrow as they become available.