Medicare program; conditions for Medicare coverage of surgery to relieve obstructions to vertebral artery blood flow (vertebral artery surgery)--Health Care financing Administration. Notice of HCFA ruling.
This notice announces a HCFA ruling that restates Medicare policy on coverage of vertebral artery surgery. Medicare covers medical procedures only if the procedures are safe and effective. Available evidence shows that five types of surgical procedures performed to relieve an obstruction of the vertebral artery blood flow are safe and effective, but only if each of four conditions is met.
D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics*; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000601:surgery*