- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could remove PET scan restrictions to better determine whether patients qualify for new drugs and to shine a light on whether a drug is slowing cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. The memo, released July 18, suggests removing the national coverage determination (NCD) that is currently applied to beta amyloid imaging. “We believe removal of [the NCD] will allow appropriate coverage of amyloid PET scans and will greatly reduce provider and patient burden from the existing requirements and test limitation,” according to the memo. PET scans, one of the most used methods for patient selection in clinical trials, help confirm whether brain amyloid exists and can guide future treatment. (Article here; Memo here)
July 31, 2023
Payers | Tea Leaves