CMS has issued a proposed rule that unleashes innovative technology so Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest, most cutting-edge devices, according to a press release on CMS’ website.
 
The proposal would “provide national Medicare coverage on the same day as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) market authorization for breakthrough devices and coverage would last for 4 years.”
 
“We believe 4 years of Medicare coverage will encourage manufacturers to voluntarily develop evidence to show these treatments improve the health of Medicare patients,” the release goes on to state.
 
“For new technologies, CMS coverage approval has been a chicken and egg issue. Innovators had to prove their technologies were appropriate for seniors, but that was almost impossible since the technology was not yet covered by Medicare and thus not widely used enough to demonstrate their suitability for Medicare beneficiaries,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “These efforts will ensure seniors get access to the latest technologies while lowering costs for innovators. Arcane bureaucratic requirements have no business preventing seniors’ access to a technology that might save their lives.”
 
Related links: To view the final rule, visit https://bit.ly/3mciH2T. To view a fact sheet on the final rule, visit https://go.cms.gov/3imImnh.