Following Lobbying by Radiologist Societies, CMS Allows for Billing of Multiple Cardiac MRI Procedures

In a recent development, the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR), in collaboration with several prominent medical organizations (American College of Radiology, American Roentgen Ray Society, Association of University Radiologists, and the Radiologic Society of North America), has succeeded in securing expanded reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) velocity flow mapping procedures.

Historically, healthcare providers encountered billing limitations when using the velocity flow mapping billing code (CPT 75565) only being able to bill the CPT code one time. However, following extensive discussions, correspondence, and collaborative efforts between these medical societies and CMS, effective from October 1, 2023, healthcare providers will now have the ability to bill CPT code 75565 up to four times per patient per day when deemed medically necessary.

This accomplishment will help to facilitate improved patient care for patients with congenital heart defects (CHD) who often require multiple flow measurements. It is also a positive for companies such as Arterys (now part of Tempus), VistaAI, and Pie Medical Imaging, who sell imaging software to support cardiac flow measurement and MRI manufacturers such as Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, and Canon Medical Systems.