American College of Cardiology

Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee Meeting Focuses On CT Angiography

The Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee (MCAC) convened last month to review the current state of evidence on noninvasive imaging techniques for diagnosing coronary artery disease. The ACC and several other organizations presented public testimony.

While the meeting was intended to address all forms of noninvasive imaging for diagnosing coronary artery disease in comparison to cardiac catheterization, most discussion focused on CT angiography. Questions and discussion from the panelists focused on concerns about the lack of outcome data on CTA, the appropriate patient population for CTA, the issue of false positive results, and comparisons between 16-slice and 64-slice technology. The panel voted on several questions regarding the level of confidence they had in the evidence for noninvasive imaging for diagnosing coronary artery disease.

It is unclear at this point how CMS will use the results of the meeting. No coverage decision was under consideration. Results from the votes and a summary of the meeting will be posted on the CMS website at www.cms.gov.