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Home > Medical Professionals > Health Policy and Government Relations > Regulatory Issues > Non-Coronary_Vascular_Stent_Comments

Medicare Carrier Limits Use of Stents to FDA-approved Indications

At least one Medicare carrier, TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, has issued a local coverage decision that states that they will only pay for stent placement when an FDA-approved stent is used for a specific FDA-approved indication. Earlier this month, SVS sent a letter to the carrier medical directors voicing the Society’s concerns about this decision. The letter pointed out that “there are numerous vascular stents on the market whose use is commonplace in the peripheral vascular system that are not FDA-approved for this indication.” Further, the SVS letter took issue with TrailBlazer’s omission of stent use for mesenteric vessels; the necessary ICD-9 codes to provide coverage for this life-saving procedure are absent in the current policy. The letter expresses concern from SVS that these restrictive policies will limit access to care for many patients. View the full letter.