PET advocates hoping for the reimbursement of new applications received good news today from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A month after a Medicare panel recommended that CMS not cover the use of FDG-PET for Alzheimer's disease, the agency said it will in fact cover PET imaging as a primary or initial diagnostic study for determining myocardial viability in patients with ischemic heart disease.
CMS said the new policy was formed after a review of scientific data during an internal PET policy review. The agency is issuing a memorandum announcing its decision, and the new policy will be implemented later through instructions to the private contractors who process and pay Medicare claims, according to CMS.
By AuntMinnie.com staff writersFebruary 20, 2002
Related Reading
U.S. gives thumbs-down on PET for Alzheimer's, January 11, 2002
CMS tackles FDG-PET reimbursement for Alzheimer’s, January 10, 2002
PET scanning plus new molecular probe detects early Alzheimer's disease in vivo, January 10, 2002
PET payment cut will force efficiency, procedure volume gains, December 6, 2001
Wagner taps PET Alzheimer’s study as SNM 2001’s Image of the Year, June 6, 2001
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