FeedbackCurrently, Medicare makes coverage decisions for genetic tests and services via a mix of national and local contractor policies. While this is reasonable the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society (SACGHS) says, it has some drawbacks.
One remedy, the panel notes, is to encourage CMS to move ahead on implementing Section 731 of the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act. This requires CMS to develop a plan to evaluate new local coverage decisions with an eye toward ascertaining which should be adopted nationally and to what extent Medicare can achieve greater consistency in its coverage policies. We will continue to keep you informed as decisions are mandated.
