On Feb. 7, the AANS, CNS and AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) urging the agency to update its National Coverage Determination for Carotid Artery Stenting (CAS). In 2009, the AANS and the CNS disagreed with proposals to expand coverage for CAS to asymptomatic patients based on the available evidence at that time. However, as noted in the letter, since then, multiple randomized controlled trials have been published, physicians from several different specialties have amassed extensive real-world experience and data have been collected as part of national registries. Therefore, neurosurgery now urges CMS to revisit the coverage for CAS.
Click here to read the letter.
