CMS has issued a preliminary decision to allow hospital outpatient billing of the Verax Pan Genera Detection test, a safety measure for bacterial contamination in platelets.
The preliminary decision, if finalized, would allow facilities running the Verax Platelet PGD test to bill for Medicare outpatient reimbursement of platelet components tested with PGD, according to a news release.
CMS' preliminary decision establishes a Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System modifier for "Rapid bacterial tested" for use with existing HCPCS codes for platelets for outpatient reimbursement purposes. This modifier could be used across the broad variety
"We are incredibly pleased with this decision. When finalized, this will have a significantly positive impact on the practice of transfusion medicine," Verax CEO Jim Lousararian said in a prepared statement. "We view this as a major development both in terms of blood safety policy and acknowledging the economic value of testing the nation's platelet supply."
CMS will hold a public meeting June 1 to take public comment and discussion on its preliminary decision as the next step towards final adoption.
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