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Medicare News
Senior Citizens May Gain More Access to Temporary
Mechanical Hearts
Medicare changes rules that should gain approval
for more hospitals
 March 30, 2007 Senior citizens may have greater
access to temporary mechanical hearts due to action by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today that should help additional
hospitals become Medicare approved for ventricular assist device (VAD)
implantations.
The Agency is updating the requirements for VAD
Destination Therapy facilities to include facilities that:
1) have a surgeon on their team with the
experience of implanting at least 10 VADs or artificial hearts during
the preceding 36 months;
2) submit data to the federally supported
Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (INTERMACS);
and
3) are certified by the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Joint Commission) through its
newly established Disease-Specific Certification Program for VADs.
This decision will improve access to this
life-sustaining technology, said Acting CMS Administrator Leslie V.
Norwalk. And, with Joint Commission certification, we will ensure that
patients receive care in experienced facilities.
Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are implanted
mechanical devices used to assist a damaged or weakened heart in pumping
blood. These devices are used in support of blood circulation
post-cardiac procedures, while a patient is awaiting a transplant
(bridge to transplantation) and when a patient requires permanent
circulatory support (destination therapy).
Todays announcement applies to facilities that
implant devices under the destination therapy indication.
The Joint Commission submitted its VAD program
standards to the Agency and formally requested that CMS review their
standards to determine whether they meet the CMS facility requirements.
Previously, CMS approved facilities that met
requirements outlined in a 2003 National Coverage Determination. These
facilities will be required to meet the updated requirements and, within
two years, become Joint Commission certified.
Details of the coverage policy are available at the
CMS coverage website,
click here.
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