More defibrillator coverage coming, but not as much as requested

Article Overview

This article covers a Medicare National Coverage Decision that expands coverage for implantable cardioverter defibrillator procedures, but more narrowly than requested by professional and industry stakeholders. It explains why the change matters to cardiology practices, hospitals, and device-related billing workflows, and it discusses the timing of the effective date, the need for a future CMS program memo, and uncertainty about which billing codes will apply under the new coverage conditions.