Home anti-coagulation monitoring
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Medicare coverage is expanded for home blood testing of prothrombin time to include beneficiaries who are using the blood thinner warfarin for chronic atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism in a March 19 final coverage determination. Home International Normalized Ratio (INR) prothrombin time monitoring is already covered for patients with mechanical heart valves. The new policy should be a boon for three device firms that market INR assays for home use - Thoratec/International Technidyne (ProTime Microcoagulation System), Inverness/HemoSense (INRatio) and Roche Diagnostics (CaguChek XS and Coaguchek PST) ("1The Gray Sheet" Jan. 7, 2008, p. 16)
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