A disconnect between best care and what Medicare is willing to reimburse for it has put some electrophysiologists and their hospitals in a bind.

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Months after the U.S. FDA approved a device with the potential to close the source of many atrial fibrillation-related strokes, hospitals, cardiologists and patients find themselves in a holding pattern increasingly common for newly emerging therapies: They are waiting for the CMS to issue a national coverage determination for LAA occlusion.

Three leading cardiology societies released a consensus statement on Dec. 10 regarding criteria institutions and operators should follow for left atrial appendage occlusion.

Major cardiovascular societies are increasing their public reporting of data to help patients obtain information on hospitals’ care delivery and improve the quality and cost of care, according to an advisory published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Nov. 18.

Although the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Oct. 30 that it had settled with 457 hospitals for allegedly improperly implanting implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), it said it will to continue to investigate hospitals and health systems that fail to comply with the ICD implantation rules.

Three major cardiology societies released a new guideline on Sept. 23 to manage adults with all types of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) other than atrial fibrillation.

The Heart Rhythm Society focused on the latest developments in electrophysiology and the management of patients with rhythm disorders and heart failure at its 2015 meeting on May 13-16 in Boston. The event included 12 late-breaking clinical trials.