‘Tremendous setback’: Imaging advocate blasts CMS decision on Alzheimer’s care
An imaging industry advocate is blasting the federal government’s recent decision to continue severely restricting access to treatments for Alzheimer’s.
CMS announced in February that it will not reconsider the agency’s national coverage determination on monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid for the treatment of this deadly disease. The move drew anger from the Alzheimer's Association, which had originally requested the reexamination.
Now, the Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance also is weighing in, urging the federal government to “immediately” revisit the decision.
“This represents a tremendous setback for patients living with this debilitating disease,” MITA, which represents manufacturers of medical imaging equipment, radiopharmaceuticals and contrast media, said Monday.
The alliance also challenged CMS’ limited coverage of beta-amyloid positron emission tomography scans, used to help identify those at risk for Alzheimer’s. More than 40 studies have proven PET’s utility over the past decade, but Medicare coverage is still lacking, the group argued.
“PET scans were essential in the clinical development of current FDA-approved amyloid-targeted treatments, as well as those being developed,” MITA said in a statement. “The same diagnostic tools should be accessible to physicians evaluating patients in the office or hospitals.”
The Alzheimer’s Association echoed MITA’s concerns in February, saying it was “appalled” by the federal government’s “unjust” ruling. CMS, meanwhile, defended the determination on Feb. 22.
“We recognize that these medications are a unique, new class of drugs, and we regret that the decision could not be more favorable,” the agency said at the time.
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.