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Medical equipment industry

Medtronic Praises CMS Decision to Expand ICD Reimbursement Coverage

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Medtronic, a leading developer of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), has welcomed the decision by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to broaden reimbursement coverage for the life-saving devices. The CMS proposed rule would expand coverage to Medicare patients with heart failure who meet certain criteria for ICD implants. This move is based on a landmark government study, SCD-HeFT, which demonstrated that ICDs significantly increased the survival rate of patients with heart failure. Medtronic has pledged to collaborate with CMS and professional medical groups to ensure that the new group of Medicare patients receives prompt access to the therapy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proposed CMS rule would expand coverage for Medicare patients with heart failure who meet certain criteria for ICD implants.
  • The SCD-HeFT study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and funded by Medtronic, showed that ICDs reduced sudden cardiac death in patients with moderate heart failure by 23%.
  • ICDs have been shown to be 98% effective in preventing death due to sudden cardiac arrest.
  • The Heart Rhythm Society has expressed concerns about the implementation of the proposed rule and has appealed to Medtronic to share those concerns.
  • The primary goal is to ensure that the coverage is consistent with the quality, rigor, and results of the SCD-HeFT study.
  • The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) has a membership of over 3500 physicians and associated professionals who implant devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.

Statistics:

  • The SCD-HeFT study followed over 2,500 patients for 6 years.
  • Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) takes the lives of approximately 450,000 people in the United States each year.
  • Half of the deaths among heart failure patients are due to sudden cardiac arrest.
  • Immediate treatment with a defibrillator shock can halt a potentially fatal heart rhythm and prevent sudden cardiac arrest once an episode begins.

Sources:

  • NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net
  • US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
  • Medtronic, Inc.
  • National Institutes of Health
  • The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS)
  • Health & Medicine Week editors via NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net

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