Medicare News
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| Friday, October 19, 2001 | CMS Office of Public Affairs 202-690-6145 |
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MEDICARE ANNOUNCES ITS INTENTION TO COVER AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING FOR SOME PATIENTS
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced its intention to expand diagnostic options for Medicare beneficiaries by making ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) available to patients with suspected white coat hypertension.
Some people have high blood pressure in a physician's office, perhaps a response to the anxiety of being in the doctor's office, symbolized by the physician's white coat, and have normal blood pressure outside the office. Knowing if the patient actually is hypertensive or merely reacting to the office environment enables the physician to better manage the patient's care.
"Making modern medical technology available means better health care for Medicare beneficiaries," said HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is a method of blood pressure measurement that is done outside the doctor's office. The patient wears a blood pressure cuff over a 24-hour period, which automatically takes the patient's blood pressure at fixed times throughout the period. The readings are stored in the device and later interpreted at the physician's office.
Prior to the effective date of this national coverage determination, ambulatory blood pressure monitors were non-covered by Medicare. CMS received a formal request from a manufacturer of the monitoring devices for a new national coverage determination providing coverage.
CMS was asked to cover ABPM for five specific conditions. However, only one of these conditions, suspected white coat hypertension, had scientific evidence to support it. A review of 31 studies, in addition to a number of position and consensus statements from professional societies, demonstrated that ABPM can provide useful information to a physician to determine whether a patient is truly hypertensive or merely exhibiting white coat hypertension. CMS will announce when the coverage policy will become effective.
Details of the decision memorandum announced today can be found at Medicare Coverage Policy.
