CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) agrees to review carotid stenting policy
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has agreed to consider withdrawing its current non-coverage instructions for carotid artery stenting in light of the results from Cordis' recent SAPPHIRE trial. The Stenting and Angioplasty with Protection in Patients at High Risk for Endarterectomy trial demonstrated that carotid stenting with embolic protection is not inferior to carotid endarterectomy and is a viable alternative for those patients who might not do well with the more invasive surgical procedure.