Medicare Expands Reimbursement for Implanted Defibrillators, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center Cardiologists Focus on Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death

Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it intends to increase the Medicare beneficiaries eligible for an ICD based on a study released by the The New England Journal on January 20, 2005. It is estimated that the government will now pay for devices for 500,000 patients, two to three times more than were previously eligible.

(PRWEB) April 28, 2005 -- Thousands of heart patients soon will be eligible to receive an implanted defibrillator, and Medicare has decided to cover the cost. Results from a landmark" study by the National Institutes of Health indicated patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) saves more lives. The January 20, 2005 issue of The New England Journal featured results from the Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial (SCD -- HeFT) showing a 23 percent reduction in death among trial participants with an ICD compared to those who did not receive defibrillators. The SCD-HeFT findings show that ICDs used preventively in people with heart failure and poor heart pumping function have the potential to saves tens of thousands of lives each year. SCD-HeFT is the latest in a series of major medical studies demonstrating the life-saving benefits of ICDs. The results reinforce evidence from earlier trials.

Officials at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it intends to increase the Medicare beneficiaries eligible for an ICD based on the study. It is estimated that the government will now pay for devices for 500,000 patients, two to three times more than were previously eligible.

Baptist Medical Center Cardiologists Robert Andrew Pickett, M.D. and Douglas Wolfe, M.D. are two of only seven board certified electrophysiologists in Mississippi helping get peoples hearts back in rhythm.

Electrophysiology is basically a subsection of cardiology focusing on treating arrhythmias and on the prevention of sudden cardiac death," said Dr. Pickett. We are treating the cause rather than just the symptoms. Rapid advances in technology are helping us get ahead of the curve."

For instance, ICDs are pager-sized devices implanted under the skin near the collarbone and connected to the heart with insulated wires. The devices deliver a forceful shock that jolts a racing heart back into normal rhythm. Dr. Pickett noted that no drug has ever been shown to prevent sudden death better than defibrillators.

Funded by manufacturer Medtronic Inc. and drug maker Wyeth, the study indicates that ICDs are a cost-effective therapy in this heart failure population and reinforces the fact that defibrillation is the only treatment that can stop a life-threatening heart rhythm once it occurs.

In the United States, approximately 450,000 people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest. Its a sudden, abrupt loss of heart function often caused by a rapid, chaotic heart rhythm disturbance. People at most risk of suffering sudden cardiac arrest are heart attack survivors and heart failure patients.

For more information visit Baptists website at www.mbhs.org.

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