Payment rate on S-ICD set for increase

The Medicare outpatient payment rate for implanting certain implantable defibrillator devices will increase by 23 percent on Jan. 1, 2015, thanks to a change in its designation.

Boston Scientific announced that the American Medical Association is changing the designation of its subcutaneous implantable defibrillation system (S-ICD) to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Category I codes, which the company said will make the coding process more predictable for hospitals and implanting physician. This category covers procedures that are widely performed and consistent with medical practice.