Disparities in Care Among Patients With Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices Undergoing MRI. 2017

Joseph J Cavallo, and Yapei Zhang, and Lawrence H Staib, and Rachel Lampert, and Jeffrey C Weinreb
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. Electronic address: Joseph.Cavallo@yale.edu.

OBJECTIVE Abundant data now demonstrate safe use of MRI for patients with non-MR conditional cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). However, CMS does not currently reimburse these examinations. OBJECTIVE Determine whether differences in reimbursement between commercial insurance carriers and CMS are impacting the completion rates of MRI examinations ordered in patients with non-MR conditional CIEDs. METHODS This study retrospectively examined patients with non-MR conditional CIEDs for whom an MRI was ordered between January 1, 2015, and August 31, 2016. Completion rates of MRI in patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance were compared with those in patients with commercial insurance. Before November 7, 2015, all patients with non-MR conditional CIEDs underwent MRI examinations at no charge to the patient regardless of insurance. After that date, outpatients with only Medicare or Medicaid insurance coverage received an Advanced Beneficiary Notice that informed them that they would have to pay out of pocket for the entire cost of their MRI examinations. RESULTS Of 143 MRI examinations ordered, 127 met inclusion criteria for analysis. In the post-Advanced Beneficiary Notice period, outpatients with commercial insurance were significantly more likely to complete their MRI examinations (19 of 22 patients, 86%) when compared with patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance (1 of 36 patients, 3%; P <.0001). No significant difference was observed in the inpatient setting. CONCLUSIONS Due to CMS coverage policies based on now outdated concepts about MRI safety, patients with non-MR conditional CIEDs and Medicare or Medicaid insurance are undergoing significantly fewer appropriate diagnostic MRI examinations than patients with commercial insurance.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007345 Insurance Claim Review Review of claims by insurance companies to determine liability and amount of payment for various services. The review may also include determination of eligibility of the claimant or beneficiary or of the provider of the benefit; determination that the benefit is covered or not payable under another policy; or determination that the service was necessary and of reasonable cost and quality. Claims Review,Insurance Audit,Insurance Claims Processing,Analysis, Claims,Claim Review, Insurance,Claims Analysis,Insurance Claims Analysis,Review, Claims,Review, Insurance Claim,Analyses, Claims,Analyses, Insurance Claims,Analysis, Insurance Claims,Audit, Insurance,Audits, Insurance,Claim Reviews, Insurance,Claims Analyses,Claims Analyses, Insurance,Claims Analysis, Insurance,Claims Processing, Insurance,Claims Reviews,Insurance Audits,Insurance Claim Reviews,Insurance Claims Analyses,Processing, Insurance Claims,Reviews, Claims,Reviews, Insurance Claim
D007349 Insurance, Health, Reimbursement Payment by a third-party payer in a sum equal to the amount expended by a health care provider or facility for health services rendered to an insured or program beneficiary. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988) Health Insurance Reimbursement,Reimbursement, Health Insurance,Third-Party Payments,Third-Party Payers,Health Insurance Reimbursements,Insurance Reimbursement, Health,Insurance Reimbursements, Health,Payer, Third-Party,Payers, Third-Party,Payment, Third-Party,Payments, Third-Party,Reimbursements, Health Insurance,Third Party Payers,Third Party Payments,Third-Party Payer,Third-Party Payment
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D008484 Medicaid Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XIX, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, administered by the states, that provides health care benefits to indigent and medically indigent persons. Dental Medicaid Program,Medical Assistance, Title 19,Dental Medicaid Programs,Medicaid Program, Dental,Medicaid Programs, Dental,Program, Dental Medicaid,Programs, Dental Medicaid
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D010138 Pacemaker, Artificial A device designed to stimulate, by electric impulses, contraction of the heart muscles. It may be temporary (external) or permanent (internal or internal-external). Cardiac Pacemaker, Artificial,Artificial Cardiac Pacemaker,Artificial Cardiac Pacemakers,Artificial Pacemaker,Artificial Pacemakers,Cardiac Pacemakers, Artificial,Pacemaker, Artificial Cardiac,Pacemakers, Artificial,Pacemakers, Artificial Cardiac
D005260 Female Females
D006278 Medicare Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XVIII-Health Insurance for the Aged, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, that provides health insurance benefits to persons over the age of 65 and others eligible for Social Security benefits. It consists of two separate but coordinated programs: hospital insurance (MEDICARE PART A) and supplementary medical insurance (MEDICARE PART B). (Hospital Administration Terminology, AHA, 2d ed and A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, US House of Representatives, 1976) Health Insurance for Aged and Disabled, Title 18,Insurance, Health, for Aged and Disabled,Health Insurance for Aged, Disabled, Title 18,Health Insurance for Aged, Title 18
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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