Government
Medicare seeks opinions on coverage expansions
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 25, 2005
Federal officials are seeking input on how they can approve coverage of new medical technology faster in return for physicians submitting data on its effectiveness.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a draft guidance detailing how the agency might authorize what it dubs "coverage with evidence development." The process would kick in when officials feel that such data collection could determine whether an unproven type of technology is medically necessary for certain types of patients.
Medicare already has used this concept in several recent national coverage decisions, most notably the move to expand the number of beneficiaries with heart conditions that are eligible for coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Physicians can offer the devices to a larger number of seniors in return for enrolling the patients in a national registry to determine whether the treatment works.
The draft guidance is available for review online (link).
CMS will accept comments on the document until June 5.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/04/25/gvbf0425.htm.
