News

Philips Urges CMS to Withdraw Proposal to Reduce Cardiac CTA Coverage

January 11, 2008

 

In formal written comments submitted today, Philips Healthcare urged CMS to withdraw its proposed decision to significantly reduce Medicare coverage for cardiac CT angiography.

 

Philips said that the agency’s proposal—which would allow coverage only for intermediate risk patients who were enrolled in a randomized controlled clinical trial—was inconsistent with an earlier guidance for creating such trials.  Philips also noted that the requirements for participation in a randomized clinical trial would preclude participation of patients who might benefit from the technology and who meet appropriateness criteria set forth by the ACC/ACR/AHA, but who do not necessarily meet the criteria established by CMS for participation in a trial.

If CMS is unwilling to withdraw its proposal, Philips urged CMS to reconsider using health outcomes as an endpoint in making coverage decisions for diagnostic technologies such as CCTA, conduct a more thorough and objective review of the clinical literature, provide more detailed instructions to local carriers about coverage, and, finally, to consider participation in a national registry in lieu of enrollment in a CMS-approved clinical trial.  To view the Philips comments, click here.