Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
CMS Announces TEB Decision
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In Transmittal 6, issued Jan. 23, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it's adding coverage of thoracic electrical bioimpedance devices, which are used for a type of plethysmography. Since 1999, CMS has covered TEB only for the "noninvasive diagnosis or monitoring of hemodynamics in patients with suspected or known cardiovascular disease."
In its new policy, CMS gives more explicit guidance as to which conditions require TEB. They include differentiating cardiogenic from pulmonary causes of acute dyspnea, optimizing atrioventicular interval for patients with A/V sequential cardiac pacemakers, monitoring of continuous inotropic therapy for patients with terminal congestive heart failure, evaluation for rejection in patients with a heart transplant as a predetermined alternative to a myocardial biopsy, and optimization of fluid management in patients with congestive heart failure.
Carriers can decide for themselves whether to cover TEB for management of drug-resistant hypertension.
Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert
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