Medicare Coverage Updates November 2010

on Wednesday, 17 November 2010. All News Items

Draft LCDs: Cahaba GBA released three draft Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) for comment in November. Of particular interest to hospitals are the draft policies for skin substitutes and vertebroplasty / kyphoplasty. The comment period is November 1, 2011 through December 17, 2010. The draft policies are:

If you would like to make a comment on a policy, you may e-mail your comment to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or write to the Medical Director at this address:

Cahaba GBA MAC A & B
Comments for Draft LCDs
P.O. Box 13384
Birmingham, AL 35202-3384

New Effective Policies: Two draft policies have been finalized and will become effective November 15, 2010. These policies are:

NOTE: The Draft LCD Radiology: Ultrasound Guidance for Vascular Access Requiring Ultrasound Evaluation of Potential Access Sites (DL31295) has been rescinded.

Updated LCDs: Effective October 1, 2010, Cahaba GBA added diagnosis codes that support medical necessity to two policies.

Diagnoses for the signs and symptoms involving cognition were added to:

Outpatient Occupational Therapy LCD (L30007) (Rehab CPT/HCPCS codes)
Outpatient Speech Language Pathology LCD (L30010)

Added codes are:

799.51 Attention or concentration deficit
799.52 Cognitive communication deficit
799.53 Visuospatial deficit
799.54 Psychomotor deficit
799.55 Frontal lobe and executive function deficit
799.59 Other signs and symptoms involving cognition

All Cahaba LCDs and Articles can be found on the Cahaba website at the following link: http://www.cahabagba.com/part_a/policies_medical_review/lcd_active.htm

Medicare Coverage Updates November 2010

Location

Connect