Medicare Eyes Coverage Changes For Artificial Hearts
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced changes to how it determines which beneficiaries' artificial hearts Medicare will pay for.
Modern Healthcare:
CMS To End National Coverage Determinations For Artificial Hearts
CMS plans to end national coverage determinations for artificial hearts, the agency said Wednesday. It also proposed changing how it decides whether to cover ventricular assist devices. Under the plan, Medicare Administrative Contractors would figure out if Medicare should pay for a beneficiary's artificial heart. (Brady, 8/12)
In other administration news —
Kaiser Health News:
Back To The Future: Trump’s History Of Promising A Health Plan That Never Comes
Ever since he was a presidential candidate, President Donald Trump has been promising the American people a “terrific,” “phenomenal” and “fantastic” new health care plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. But, in the 3½ years since he set up shop in the Oval Office, he has yet to deliver. In his early days on the campaign trail, circa 2015, he said on CNN he would repeal Obamacare and replace it with “something terrific,” and on Sean Hannity’s radio show he said the replacement would be “something great.” (Knight, 8/13)