Medicare Expands ICD Benefit

Medicare Expands ICD Benefit

March 2005
Volume IV, Number 9

Final results of the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SDC-HeFT) are prompting a significant expansion of Medicare coverage, increasing the number of Medicare beneficiaries eligible for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) by one-third, or 500,000 patients.

The landmark study demonstrated a 23 percent reduction in mortality for heart-failure patients receiving an implantable defibrillator compared to those treated with medications alone.

"As the professional society for heart-rhythm specialists who diagnose and treat patients with heart-rhythm disorders and heart failure, we strongly support the final decision of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand coverage of implantable cardioverter defibrillator devices," said Dr. Stephen C. Hammill, president, Heart Rhythm Society. "Considering that this decision will provide hundreds of thousands of patients with access to this lifesaving therapy, there is a critical need to ensure these devices are implanted by qualified and competent physicians to achieve optimal patient care."