7 more payers to cover noninvasive test for coronary artery disease

Daniel Allar | | Cardiovascular Business | Cardiac Imaging

Seven new commercial payers are covering the use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, a noninvasive technology that allows clinicians to view a simulated, three-dimensional model of a patient’s coronary blood flow.

More than 185 million patients will now have access to HeartFlow, the company announced Feb. 1. The new payers issuing positive medical policies are Cigna, Florida Blue, Highmark, Independence Blue Cross and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans of Michigan, North Carolina and Vermont.

Other Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans announced positive coverage decisions in August and CMS recently awarded HeartFlow a New Technology Ambulatory Payment Classification for 2018—making it available to more than 55 million Medicare beneficiaries.

“These positive coverage decisions reinforce the clinical and economic value of the HeartFlow Analysis in addressing how heart disease is diagnosed and treated,” HeartFlow president and CEO John H. Stevens, MD, said in a press release. “With the growing momentum of coverage, a wealth of scientific evidence, and unparalleled technology, the HeartFlow Analysis is poised to become the standard of care for patients with suspected heart disease.”

The system combines results from a coronary CT angiogram with computer algorithms to create a personalized, 3D model of a patient’s coronary arteries. Simulated blood flow can help clinicians assess the impact of coronary blockages and inform treatment decisions without using invasive angiography.

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Daniel Allar

Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.

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