Posted on August 28, 2009 by Debra A. McCurdy

MedCAC Meetings on Catheter Ablation, Lymphedema, Cancer Pharmacogenomic Testing, & ESA in Anemia Related to Kidney Disease

CMS has announced a series of Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC) meetings to address specific Medicare coverage issues. MedCAC is meeting October 21, 2009 to focus on the use of catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation.  On November 18, 2009, MedCAC will address the adequacy of the available evidence that supports the diagnostic and treatment methods used in the management of secondary lymphedema.  On January 27, 2010, the panel will review the evidence that supports the use of pharmacogenomic testing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. MedCAC also will meet on March 24, 2010, to examine the available evidence on the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) to manage anemia in patients who have chronic kidney disease.

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Posted on March 27, 2009 by Debra A. McCurdy

MedCAC Nominations

On March 27, CMS published a notice soliciting nominations for membership on the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC), which advises the HHS Secretary on whether medical items and services are “reasonable and necessary” and therefore eligible for Medicare coverage. MedCAC is looking for experts in a number of area, with the most critical needs in the following fields: experts in Bayesian statistics; clinical epidemiology; clinical trial methodology; knee, hip, and other joint replacement surgery; ophthalmology; psychopharmacology; registries; rheumatology; screening and diagnostic testing analysis; and stroke. MedCAC also needs experts in biostatistics in clinical settings, cardiovascular epidemiology, cost effectiveness analysis, dementia, endocrinology, geriatrics, gynecology, minority health, observational research design, stroke epidemiology, and women’s health. Nominations will be considered if postmarked by April 27, 2009. 

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Posted on March 5, 2009 by Debra A. McCurdy

MedCAC Meeting on Medicare Coverage Evidence (June 17, 2009)

CMS has postponed until June 17, 2009 a Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC) meeting on the use of Bayesian statistics to interpret evidence in making coverage decisions. Bayesian analysis is a statistical technique in which prior evidence is used to update or to newly infer the probability that a hypothesis may be true. CMS encourages the participation of organizations with expertise in Bayesian statistics, meta-analyses, and clinical trial design and analyses. The meeting originally had been scheduled for March 18, 2009. 

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