BGM Galectin-3 heart failure risk test regulatory update

BG Medicine said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) assigned a payment rate for the BGM Galectin-3 heart failure risk test under an analyte-specific current procedural terminology (CPT) code, effective Jan. 1, 2013. However, CMS did not award a higher payment rate for the test. The decision was made in response to the company's request for a new code and a higher payment rate. BG Medicine said it will seek an increased Medicare reimbursement rate for 2014. The test is approved in the U.S. as an aid to assess the prognosis of patients diagnosed with chronic heart failure (CHF). In May, BG Medicine submitted a 510(k) application to FDA to expand the indication for the test to include use in the general adult population (see BioCentury, May 21). ...