November 2021 Medicare Coverage Updates & Education Resources
Published on
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
Medicare Coverage Updates
National Coverage Determination (NCD) 270.3 Blood-Derived Products for Chronic, Non-Healing Wounds
- Article Release Date: September 15, 2021 – Revised November 12, 2021
- What You Need to Know: This article lets providers know that CMS will nationally cover autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for the treatment of chronic non-healing diabetic wounds under specific conditions. It was updated to reflect a revised implementation date of November 23, 2021 for MACs.
- MLN MM12403: (link)
October 28, 2021: Transvenous (Catheter) Pulmonary Embolectomy Final Decision Memo
CMS published a Final Decision Memo (link) and is removing the National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Transvenous (Catheter) Pulmonary Embolectomy (NCD 240.6) and permitting coverage determinations to be made by Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).
November 12, 2021: CMS Repeals MCIT/R&N Rule
CMS announced they have rescinded the Medicare Coverage and Innovative Technology and Definition of “Reasonable and Necessary” (MCIT/R&N) final rule that was published January 14, 2021. CMS notes in a related Press Release (link) that they plan “to work with the FDA, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (QHRQ), medical device manufacturers, and other stakeholders to develop and expeditious process to cover innovative devices that benefit Medicare patients, and intends to hold at least two stakeholder public meetings in CY 2022 to inform our future policy-making in this space.”
November 17, 2021: Screening for Lung Cancer with Low Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) Proposed Decision Memo
CMS posted Proposed Decision Memo (CAG-00439R) (link)
which would update the eligibility criteria for a LDCT. Two key changes are decreasing the age of eligibility from 55 years to 50 years and the history of smoking in pack-years from 30 to 20 years. CMS is accepting comments through December 17, 2021.
December 12, 2021: Future Effective Palmetto GBA LCD and Article: Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT)
CMS published a final Decision Memo, February 15, 2018, related to NCD 20.4 (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators). Changes made to this policy included removal of the Class IV Heart Failure requirements for CRT. At that time, CMS noted that coverage determinations for CRT devices are currently made by local Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) and not currently subject to an NCD.
Currently, First Coast Services Options, the JN MAC is the only MAC with a CRT coverage policy (LCD L33271 / A57634). That will soon change as Palmetto GBA the JJ and JM MAC has published LCD DL39080 with associated coding and billing article A58821 with a future effective date of December 11, 2021. Palmetto notes in the LCD that it “does not address the decision-making between CRT-pacemaker (CRT-P) or CRT-defibrillator (CRT-D) options other than to emphasize that those patients receiving CRT-D must not only meet coverage criteria in this policy but also meet the NCD for Implantable Automatic Defibrillators (20.4) criteria for the defibrillator portion of their therapy in order to be considered for coverage.”
Medicare Educational Resources
CMS MLN Fact Sheet: Medicare Billing: 837P & Form CMS-1500 Updated
CMS has recently updated this MLN Fact Sheet (link) by adding a new Test Transaction Tool and information about late claims exceptions, new electronic filing exceptions and new waiver requests criteria.
Article Author: Beth Cobb, RN, BSN, ACM, CCDS
Beth Cobb, RN, BSN, ACM, CCDS, is the Manager of Clinical Analytics at Medical Management Plus, Inc. Beth has over twenty-five years of experience in healthcare including eleven years in Case Management at a large multi-facility health system. In her current position, Beth is a principle writer for MMP’s Wednesday@One weekly e-newsletter, an active member of our HIPAA Compliance Committee, MMP’s Education Department Program Director and co-developer of MMP’s proprietary Compliance Protection Assessment Tool.
