July 8, 2014 — Humana Inc. announced earlier this year an expanded coverage policy for cardiac CT (computed tomography), effective April 24, 2014. Many of the new Humana indications have long been advocated for by the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) and described in the model local coverage determination policy (LCD) developed by the organization.
The SCCT continues to engage payers, radiology benefits managers and other decision-makers to promote the appropriate use of cardiac CT to improve patient care. The large and constantly expanding evidence base supporting the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of cardiac CT is the foundation of these efforts and is the result of a sustained global research effort.
"The team at Humana has looked at the published evidence, as well as the claims experience with coronary CT, to make this an informed decision on behalf of their members. I am very encouraged to see a leading health company, such as Humana, use stringent criteria and evidence-based medicine to inform care with respect to cardiac CT," said J. Jeffrey Carr, M.D., SCCT president.
"I am hopeful that other payers will review the evidence and expanding U.S. experience and follow suit with coverage policies that include the benefits of cardiac CT for their members," added Ricardo Cury, M.D., SCCT president-elect. "The new Humana CCTA policy is a major step forward towards appropriate utilization of coronary CT angiography in clinical practice following evidence from major national societal guidelines."
For more information: www.scct.org
