Baltimore
CMS Administrator Mark McClellan has announced a new effort to ensure Medicare beneficiaries have timely access to new medical treatments and technologies. The new Council on Technology and Innovation (CTI) will include CMS specialists on clinical, coverage and payment issues.
Part of an initiative mandated by the MMA, the council will address issues relating to the processes for Medicare coverage, coding and payment for new technologies and the exchange of information on new technologies between CMS and other entities charged with making similar considerations and decisions.
The council, which replaces the current Medicare Technology Council, will be organized into two working groups. The Effective Innovation group will develop ways to improve the timeliness and efficiency of coverage, coding and payment processes, plus look for ways to better anticipate and accommodate new technologies.
The Better Evidence group will help identify priorities for Medicare-supported clinical research on treatments for which important questions about their effectiveness and cost persist, and where better information could help guide more effective decision making by doctors and patients.
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