Medicare Withholds New Heart Procedure - MediBid:"In the past, the only way to repair a damaged aortic valve was open-heart surgery.
In 2011, the FDA approved a medical device to repair the heart using a catheter in the leg artery called the Sapien 3.
The cost of the new valve is the same as cracking the chest, but has lower risks and is an easier procedure to perform.
Medicare fears that more elderly patients will want their hearts repaired with this new technology, so strict coverage rules have been set in place.
...Studies show that the replacement valves are superior to risky open-heart surgery, including mortality and risk of stroke.
...As the government continues to regulate medicine and ration care, medicine cannot evolve with scientific advancement..."
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