Holiday plan for carotid stent coverage
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Medicare national coverage would extend to carotid stent patients at high risk in surgery, and who experience "symptomatic narrowing of the carotid artery of 70% or more," according to CMS' Dec. 17 proposal. In October, Medicare initiated coverage of the technology for FDA-required, post-approval studies (1"The Gray Sheet" Oct. 11, 2004, p. 5). Effective immediately, CMS also will expand insulin pump coverage for diabetics...