Cigna will cover CT imaging artificial intelligence software nationwide
Cigna recently announced it will pay for a key radiology artificial intelligence product nationwide.
The Bloomfield, Connecticut-based payer has committed to covering plaque analysis software offered by several competing vendors including Heartflow Inc. Cigna follows in the footsteps of UnitedHealthcare, which is covering such CT AI software nationwide after radiology benefits manager EviCore in July updated its coverage guidelines.
New policies for both payers are slated to take effect on Oct. 1, with the Cigna update impacting over 16 million covered lives including commercial and Medicare Advantage plans.
“Cigna’s decision to cover Heartflow Plaque Analysis is a testament to the power of our technology to positively impact care for its members across the United States,” John Farquhar, MBA, president and CEO of Mountain View, California-based Heartflow, said in a statement Sept. 22.
The payer will cover CT-based coronary plaque analysis for patients with acute or stable chest pain and mild to moderate narrowing of the coronary arteries (1%–69% stenosis), as identified on coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Coupled with UnitedHealthcare and Medicare coverage, over 61 million Americans now have access to such AI assessments. The technology also will be eligible for a forthcoming CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) 1 code slated to take effect on Jan. 1.
In the same announcement, Heartflow also said it has earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its next generation plaque analysis algorithm. The technology features new updates, a “vastly expanded nomogram” and advanced 3D color-coded visualization of plaque type, volume and distribution. Heartflow also recently started trading publicly on the Nasdaq, raising $364 million from an “upsized” initial public stock offering.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.