CMS issues National Coverage Decision for pacemakers dangerous to patients

By Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC

Who needs the Independent Payment Advisory Board to limit indicated care for patients when you have the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)? 

Today I learned that CMS has issued a National Coverage Decision (NCD) for pacemakers effective 6 July 2015 that would restrict pacemaker implants to patients with “non-reversible symptomatic bradycardia” and require a so-called “KX” modifier to be added to codes for patients needing pacemakers.

That’s right, even patients with asymptomatic complete heart block would not be covered.  Patients with asymptomatic Mobitz Type II heart block wouldn’t be covered either.  Even though every piece of medical literature has supported the benefits of pacemakers in these indications, it seems doctors will be left with no choice but to lie in their documentation about patient symptoms to assure Medicare payment, or risk the government refusing to pay for their patients’ medically indicated care.

Of interest is the fact that the change request for the new policy references a section of CMS’ claims processing manual. (The red italicized print in CR 9078) However, that section is now suddenly absent from the actual manual. 

The Heart Rhythm Society and the American Medical Association (who forwarded this rule change) has been suprising silent on this new decision that was recently forwarded to our nation’s hospitals and failed to included “exceptions” to their rules as part of their transmission. As of this morning, no mention of this transmittal has occurred on their website that I could find.

Practicing cardiologists and cardiac electrophysiologists everywhere should be outraged that such a document was circulated to Medicare billing coders everywhere, but not forwarded to US physicians given its implications to patient care.  

I have no doubt Medicare monies will be saved when people die as a result of this transmitted coverage decision as it currently exists. But we should ask ourselves who is responsible for such negligence on behalf of our patients?

-Wes

The opinions expressed in this blog post are the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect those of MassDevice.com or its employees.

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