• Health Policy and Government Relations
• Contact Congress - Take Legislative Action
• SVS Health Policy Committee Meets with Senators/Staff
• Priority Issues
• Imaging Cuts
• SAAAVE Act
• Physician Payment
• Pay For Performance (P4P)
• Fistula First Initiative
• Reimbursement
• Regulatory Issues
• Political Action Committee
• 111th Congress Committee Assignments
• SVS Position Statements

Home > Medical Professionals > Health Policy and Government Relations > Reimbursement > Medicare Agrees with SVS No Changes for Renal PTA

Medicare Agrees with SVS – No Changes for Renal PTA

Since at least 1994, renal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) has been nationally covered by Medicare to treat atherosclerotic obstructive lesions. The language contained in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Coverage Manual is as follows:

“Of the renal arteries for patients in whom there is an inadequate response to a thorough medical management of symptoms and for whom surgery is the likely alternative. The PTA for this group of patients is an alternative to surgery, not simply an addition to medical management.”1

However in February 2007, the CMS Coverage and Analysis Group initiated a process to re-examine which patient populations and which circumstances the Medicare program should cover renal stenting. 

The SVS provided CMS with two sets of comments and numerous literature citations regarding renal PTA, including that it was reasonable and necessary for patients who do not respond well to medical management.  SVS leadership also presented testimony at the Medical Evidence Development Coverage Advisory Group (MedCAC) Panel meeting in July 2007 regarding the need to maintain the current coverage and to not require evidence development or enrollment in a clinical trial as a pre-requisite for Medicare coverage.

SVS is pleased to share with its members that on February 14, 2008, CMS decided to make no change in current national coverage for renal PTA. To access all the comments, CMS decision memos, and coverage manual language on this subject, please click on the following link: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=202