by
Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer | October 13, 2009
Make your voice
heard on MRA
At the end of September, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reconsidered non-coverage for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in blood flow determination at 220.2 of the National Coverage Determinations Manual. Non-coverage was removed, which permits local Medicare contractors to make determinations within their own jurisdictions.
Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is an application of MRI than can provide a visual image of blood flow as well as normal and diseased blood vessels. The MRI will continue to not be covered for patients with cardiac pacemakers or with metallic clips on vascular aneurysms.
CMS says in its September decision memo that MRI is useful for evaluating congenital heart disease and that the available evidence demonstrates MRI assessment of cardiac blood flow can be used to manage the care of patients who have one or several cardiovascular diseases including therapeutic interventions such as valve replacement.
The agency has now announced that in the process of reviewing published scientific evidence for that MRI reconsideration, it became aware of evidence concerning one or more currently non-covered indications for MRA. CMS is now opening a national coverage analysis to review the evidence on the current non-covered indications for MRA.
There will be a 30-day public comment period from October 7 to November 6, 2009. The proposed decision memo will be issued in April 2010.
CMS is requesting public comment on the health benefit outcomes of any of the current non-covered indications of Magnetic Resonance Angiography in the Medicare population, particularly regarding clinical studies and other scientific information about the technology under review and the short and long term outcomes.
Instructions on submitting public comments can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/InfoExchange/02_publiccomments.asp. Comments may also be submitted directly on the Tracking Sheet web page: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=236
The CMS Decision Memo can be accessed at:
https://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewdecisionmemo.asp?from2=viewdecisionmemo.asp&id=228
