Protecting patients and the profession by safeguarding scope of practice for cardiothoracic surgeons, advocating for the most effective interventions, and enhancing cardiovascular public health issues is a top priority. Heart disease remains one of the leading causes of death in the nation, even with many efforts to prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiovascular conditions. When heart disease and stroke are not fatal, they can result in serious illness, disability, and decreased quality of life.
Priorities
- Foster Collaboration: Ensure that Medicare coverage requires a cardiothoracic surgeon’s involvement on the heart team for patient selection and procedures.
- Support additional funding for heart health research: Secure funding for additional research to improve patient health and reduce the impacts of heart disease. Heart disease costs the United States about $219 billion each year according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Resources
- Letter to UnitedHealthcare to Address the Medical Policy Revision to the Transcatheter Heart Valve Procedures
- National Coverage Determination: Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER) for Mitral Valve Regurgitation
- National Coverage Determination: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)