VIDEO: Higher payments for CCTA could bring considerable change to cardiology

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is considering a significant change to its payment policies for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to double the amount paid in 2025. Cardiac CT experts are saying this move could reshape the financial landscape for hospitals. The CMS proposal is open for public comment until Sept. 9.

Cardiovascular Business spoke with Ron Blankstein, MD, associate director of the cardiovascular imaging program and director of cardiac CT at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of medicine and radiology at Harvard Medical School, to discuss the implications of the proposal and the persistent underpayment issues that have hindered the broader adoption of CCTA.

Blankstein, a former president of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT), emphasized that cardiac CT has become a cornerstone of modern cardiology. "Whether you're an electrophysiologist, involved in heart failure, preventive cardiology or an interventional cardiologist, cardiac CT is integral to many areas of cardiology," he noted. Despite its growing importance, however, he said current reimbursement rates have not kept pace with the costs incurred by hospitals, leading to a financial strain that limits access.