Medicare Administrative Contractors are touting new nationwide coverage for facet joint injections, a move that advocates called “significant” for interventional radiologists and other specialists.
The American College of Radiology highlighted the news on Monday, noting that its Contractor Advisory Committee Network has been tracking this issue since May 2020. All seven MACs have now outlined billing and payment for this procedure, which will be effective in all coverage areas by May 1.
“This topic is significant for interventional radiologists and pain management communities,” ACR said in a news update, encouraging providers to review the new policy carefully to avoid future claim denials.
With involvement from all MACs, the policy represents equivalent coverage across all states, the college noted. To help educate radiologists about the update, CGS Administrators is hosting a web event on April 14, exploring topics including coverage indications, limitations, medical necessity and documentation. You can find further details in the link above.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.