The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a change to its coverage policy for MR angiography (MRA) that moves its reimbursement rules for the technology into its broader guidelines for MRI.
CMS had been maintaining separate national coverage determinations (NCDs) for both MRA and MRI, with MRA located in section 220.3 of its NCD manual and MRI located in section 220.2. However, the agency said that because MRA is an application of MRI, it no longer believes that separate NCD sections are necessary for the two technologies.
In a decision memo issued June 4, CMS said that the NCDs covering MRA will be moved into section 220.2, and section 220.3 specifically addressing MRA will no longer appear as a separate section in the NCD manual.
The change will have the effect of maintaining existing national coverage of MRA in section 220.3.B by moving it into section 220.2.B. CMS will eliminate the noncoverage language in section 220.3.C while moving it into section 220.2.D of the NCD manual.
This will permit local Medicare contractors to cover or not cover indications of MRA that are not specifically nationally covered or noncovered.
Related Reading
CMS takes comments on MRA policy, October 9, 2009
CMS rules on MRI blood-flow coverage, September 29, 2009
Cardiac MR changes management in 62% of cases, study shows, September 25, 2009
CMS OKs MRI blood-flow coverage, July 2, 2009
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