The agency said it would perform a post-coverage analysis of claims data to examine the net health benefit of ultrasound stimulation for nonunion fractures without prior surgery.
The post-coverage analysis will examine the claims data submitted to CMS for the evaluation of the health benefits of ultrasound treatment. Ultrasound stimulation, a non-invasive treatment for nonunion fractures, has been covered for Medicare beneficiaries since 2000 for when surgery has failed.
CMS said the new coverage decision was in response to a request by Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics (Memphis, Tennessee), a manufacturer of ultrasonic bone-healing technology.
Expanding coverage to include patients without any prior surgical treatments will benefit Medicare beneficiaries and provide another non-surgical treatment option for patients that are not good surgical candidates, CMS said. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS; Baltimore) said it would expand Medicare coverage of ultrasound stimulation for fractures that are not healing properly, called nonunion fractures. The agency said it would perform a post-coverage analysis of claims data to examine the net health benefit of ultrasound stimulation for nonunion fractures without prior surgery. The post-coverage analysis will examine the claims data submitted to CMS for the evaluation of the health benefits of ultrasound treatment. Ultrasound stimulation, a non-invasive treatment for nonunion fractures, has been covered for Medicare beneficiaries since 2000 for when surgery has failed. CMS said the new coverage decision was in response to a request by Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics (Memphis, Tennessee), a manufacturer of ultrasonic bone-healing technology. Expanding coverage to include patients without any prior surgical treatments will benefit Medicare beneficiaries and provide another non-surgical treatment option for patients that are not good surgical candidates, CMS said.