TAVR coverage decision (2012)
CMS issued a national coverage determination for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), covering the procedure for patients too frail for open surgery. The decision rested on data from the PARTNER trial, a randomized controlled study.
TAVR adoption accelerated after coverage was secured.
Set a precedent that Medicare would cover new devices when backed by randomized trial evidence.
Shows how RCT data can unlock Medicare coverage for a new medical technology, the same mechanism Symphony is now pursuing.
