tci Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement - 2007 Issue 41

COVERAGE: Study--Drug-Coated Stents Save Medicine 5.4 Percent

CMS backs off from threats to restrict off-label coverageThe drug-coated stent debate continues to rage. Researchers who analyzed Medicare data on a sample of patients from 2001-2004 have concluded that coated stents are saving Medicare 5.4 percent--adjusted for inflation--to re-open blocked arteries, The New York Times reports.Reasons for the savings: Nearly one third of Medicare patients received bypass surgery in 2001. By 2004, just one-fourth of Medicare patients received bypasses. Also, compared to bare stents, drug-coated stents reduce the need for repeat procedures. "The surgeons would probably be screaming," said Jason Ryan, MD, MPH, a cardiologist...

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