CMS Expands ICD Coverage In Long-Awaited Decision; Stakeholders Rejoice
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
CMS' expansion of implantable cardioverter defibrillator Medicare coverage incorporates several recommendations from manufacturers and professional societies
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Improved patient follow up and communications may be needed to get implantable defibrillators to more patients who need them, researchers say following a recent study finding fewer than 10 percent of eligible patients with low ejection fraction received an ICD within a year after a heart attack, even though ICD implants were associated with lower risk-adjusted two-year mortality in this group.
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