The Lumason ultrasound contrast agent from Bracco Imaging has been approved for Medicare payment by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
CMS has approved payments for Lumason use as part of the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS), Bracco reported. The agency approved Lumason for pass-through status under HOPPS.
Lumason is indicated for use in adults with suboptimal echocardiograms to opacify the left ventricular chamber and improve delineation of the left ventricular endocardial border. Starting on October 1, Lumason can be assigned Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code C9457, enabling hospitals to receive $165.30 per 5-mL vial in addition to the payment for the echocardiogram for Medicare patients.
Lumason is already being used in 30 countries worldwide under the brand name SonoVue.
