Medicare regulators issued a new Proposed Decision Memo, offering expanded coverage for cardiac rehabilitation services for certain patients with heart failure.
The federal agency opened up its traditional public commenting period, soliciting suggestions and perspectives on cardiac rehabilitation, a post-heart-attack regimen of exercise, behavioral and lifestyle modification, health education and counseling.
Health regulators are considering adding CR to the list of approved treatments for chronic heart failure, as petitioned by a coalition of physicians’ groups including the American Assn. of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Assn. and Heart Failure Society of America.
The initial public commenting period closed on July 4, 2013, at which point CMS had tallied more than 180 comments, nearly all of them in favor of expanding CR to CHF patients, according to an agency memo. The new comment period will precede a final decision memorandum, as required by law.