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    General Advocacy

    TMVR Codes Corrected in Time for New Year

    In response to persistent advocacy by SCAI’s advocacy team, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has corrected errors that would have resulted in the denial of all co-surgeon TMVR claims and required burdensome submission of pre-payment documentation for all assistant-at-surgery claims. In the past several days, CMS has issued new instructions indicating that co-surgeon status is allowed for TMVR claims and corrected the files that carriers will use for these claims.

  • Advocacy News 

    January 05, 2015

    TMVR Codes Corrected in Time for New Year

    In response to persistent advocacy by SCAI’s advocacy team, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has corrected errors that would have resulted in the denial of all co-surgeon TMVR claims and required burdensome submission of pre-payment documentation for all assistant-at-surgery claims. In the past several days, CMS has issued new instructions indicating that co-surgeon status is allowed for TMVR claims and corrected the files that carriers will use for these claims.
    December 17, 2014

    Society Urges CMS Contractor to Support Patient Access to LAA Closure

    On December 12, SCAI submitted notice of opposition to the draft Local Coverage Determination - “Left Atrial Appendage Closure or Occlusion [DL35506]” issued by National Government Services, Inc. (NGS) – the CMS Medicare Administrative Contractor for Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
    December 04, 2014

    SCAI Seeks Correction to Co-Surgeon Status Indicators for TMVR Codes

    SCAI has submitted a request to CMS to “fix” the co-surgeon and assistant-at-surgery status indicators for the new TMVR codes released in the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule RVU file on November 21.
    November 13, 2014

    SCAI Convinces Oregon HERC that SIHD Draft Policy Needs Revision

    Following an initial draft of coverage guidance issued by the Oregon State Health Evidence Review Commission (HERC) that would deny coverage of PCI for patients with SIHD over age 75 and for those with multi-vessel disease, a team of SCAI advocates convinced HERC officials that its initial draft coverage policy on treating stable angina requires significant revision before it can be considered for implementation.
    November 09, 2014

    Society Testifies in Support of Limited FDA Approval of Watchman Device

    Zoltan Turi, MD, MSCAI testified on behalf of SCAI on Wednesday to the FDA Circulatory System Devices Panel, recommending that the FDA approve the WATCHMAN left atrial appendage occluder "for patients with reasons to avoid chronic anticoagulation while mandating additional data collection and analysis to help establish best practices, enhance quality improvement, identify anomalies, and establish the causes of adverse events.”
    November 07, 2014

    WellPoint/Anthem Restrictive Coverage Policy Raises Concerns

    Last month WellPoint/Anthem, the second largest private insurance company in the U.S. sought the Society's feedback on its draft coverage policy on OutPatient Cardiac Catheterization.
    November 07, 2014

    Highlights of the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule: Provisions Affecting Invasive/Interventional Cardiology

    CMS released the 2015 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) Final Rule on October 31, 2014. The Final Rule includes the interim values assigned by CMS for all new codes that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. The Rule, issued on Halloween, was not without its tricks and treats.
    November 07, 2014

    SCAI-PAC Backed Candidates Score Big Wins on Election Night

    As 2014 election results rolled in on Tuesday night, SCAI-PAC Chair Thomas Tu, MD, FSCAI and SCAI-PAC Director Wayne Powell paid special attention to the results for 11 Congressional candidates who received support from the Society's Political Action Committee.
    November 07, 2014

    Insurance Commissioners Urged to Provide Specialty Care Access

    Concerned about patient access to specialty care, SCAI and its Alliance of Specialty Medicine partners recently submitted comments to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in order to provide input on ensuring patient access to specialty care.
    November 03, 2014

    Advocacy Watch: Society Working for YOU on Multiple Fronts

    SCAI advocacy efforts solely on the behalf of you and your patients is a key pillar in the Society's mission to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine. It also only possible with the support of your membership.