HeartFlow Announces Decision by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to Assign a New Technology Payment Classification to HeartFlow® FFRct Analysis
6.11.2017 17:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
HeartFlow, Inc. today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized a New Technology Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC) for the HeartFlow® FFRct Analysis, a first-of-its-kind non-invasive technology that helps clinicians diagnose and treat patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Under the APC payment system, hospitals enrolled in Medicare that bill CMS for the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis for Medicare patients will be eligible for reimbursement at a rate of $1,450.50 for the technical component of the test. This payment rate will take effect on January 1, 2018.
"The CMS decision to assign a New Technology APC for the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is a major milestone and will ensure that our innovative, non-invasive technology can be utilized for Medicare beneficiaries. This is a significant development, given the high prevalence of CAD in people over age 65,” said John H. Stevens, M.D., president and chief executive officer of HeartFlow. “This decision is a testament to the wealth of clinical evidence and cost data that support the use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis as a critical, potentially life-saving technology.”
CAD, which today affects 16.8 million Americans,1 develops when the coronary arteries narrow, reducing blood flow to the heart and causing angina (chest pain), myocardial infarction (heart attack) and death. Older individuals are at highest risk of CAD.2 The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis provides insight into both the extent of CAD and the impact of the disease on blood flow to the heart. It uses high-quality images from a coronary computed tomography (CT) angiogram to provide clinicians with functional information in order to offer actionable information on the optimal course of treatment.
According to CMS, more than 55 million Americans are enrolled in the Medicare program.3
“CMS’s decision to assign a New Technology APC for FFRct technology for Medicare recipients is a recognition of the value of this technology and its demonstrated ability to reduce the number of invasive diagnostic coronary angiography procedures and help medical centers reduce costs,” said Pamela Douglas, M.D., Ursula Geller Professor for Research in Cardiovascular Disease in the School of Medicine at Duke University and past president of the American College of Cardiology. “The HeartFlow Analysis is an important tool in helping us assess patients with suspected coronary artery disease and better understand how their coronary blockages affect blood flow to the heart.”
“The decision by CMS will help in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with suspected CAD and means the number of patients over age 65 who will have access to this technology will significantly increase,” said Daniel Simon, M.D., president, University Hospitals (UH) Cleveland Medical Center, and professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “At our center, the use of the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is transforming how we diagnose and treat patients with coronary artery disease, helping us move closer to achieving the triple aim of improving the patient experience, improving the health of our patients, and reducing healthcare costs at our institution.”
Previously, the American Medical Association (AMA) issued a set of Category III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) codes for the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis. These codes provide evidence that the Analysis is a unique and distinct procedure that provides important and actionable clinical information above and beyond that of a coronary CT angiogram. Beginning on January 1, 2018, hospitals utilizing the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis will be able to generate claims when it is ordered for patients with suspected CAD via the use of specific CPT codes.
The CMS decision follows a growing number of commercial payers and professional organizations that have recognized its value in diagnosing patients with suspected CAD. Anthem, Aetna and other Blue Cross Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health insurance for approximately 80 million people have issued positive medical coverage decisions. Evidence Street, which conducts healthcare technology evaluations for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, a national federation of 36 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies, issued a positive review. In the U.K., the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of the National Health Service, which covers 64.6 million lives, also issued positive guidance. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) released updated Appropriate Use Criteria for Coronary Revascularization in Patients with Stable Ischemic Heart Disease. These criteria include the use of HeartFlow FFRct Analysis in determining the appropriateness of revascularization in many clinical scenarios.
About the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis
With HeartFlow’s technology, data from a patient’s non-invasive coronary CT angiogram are securely uploaded from the hospital’s system to the cloud. HeartFlow leverages deep learning to create a personalized, digital 3D model of the patient’s coronary arteries. It then uses powerful computer algorithms to solve millions of complex equations to simulate blood flow and assess the impact of blockages on coronary blood flow. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is provided to the patient’s physician via a secure web interface.
Clinicians around the world have chosen the HeartFlow FFRct Analysis for more than 15,000 patients to aid in the diagnosis of CAD. HeartFlow’s technology has been demonstrated to reduce unnecessary and invasive diagnostic coronary angiography procedures, and significantly reduce healthcare costs for hospitals.4
About HeartFlow, Inc.
HeartFlow, Inc. is transforming the way cardiovascular disease is diagnosed and treated. The company’s HeartFlow® FFRct Analysis is the first available non-invasive solution that enables a physician to more appropriately evaluate whether an individual has significant coronary artery disease (CAD) based on both anatomy and physiology. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis, which leverages deep learning to create a personalized 3D model of the patient’s arteries, is well positioned to become an integral part of the standard of care for patients who are at risk for CAD because of its potential to improve both clinical outcomes and the patient experience while reducing the cost of care. The HeartFlow FFRct Analysis is commercially available in the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.heartflow.com.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2787400/.
2 https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cad/atrisk.
4 Douglas PS, DeBruyne B, Pontone G., Patel MR, et al. One-year outcomes of FFRCT-guided care in patients with suspected coronary disease: The PLATFORM Study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016;68(5),435-45.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171106005472/en/
Contact information
HeartFlow, Inc.
Chris B. Ernst, 415-710-9445
cernst@heartflow.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
The Estée Lauder Companies Fully Establishes Its “One ELC” Operating Model and Reaches Milestone in Its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan2.4.2026 00:00:00 EEST | Press release
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced WPP as its first-ever global media partner, marking a significant advancement of its One ELC operating model, a scalable system designed to operate faster, execute with greater discipline, and drive growth. In fully establishing One ELC, the Company also reached a significant milestone in its Profit Recovery and Growth Plan’s (PRGP) Restructuring Program — a key action plan priority of Beauty Reimagined. Stéphane de La Faverie, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Estée Lauder Companies, said, “With the appointment of WPP as our first-ever global media partner, our One ELC operating model is now fully established. This more unified and scalable system will enable us to be faster, more agile and efficient, and support unlocking additional growth. Together with our execution progress, we are confident that we are on a trajectory to deliver sustainable, profitable long-term growth.” de La Faverie added, “Building on our stro
Visual Bank Expands “Qlean Dataset” to Support Large-Scale Japanese Speech Foundation Models1.4.2026 22:45:00 EEST | Press release
Visual Bank Inc. (CEO: Saneyuki Nagai), through its subsidiary amanaimages Inc., one of the largest digital asset providers for the marketing and advertising industry in Japan with over 40 years of history, today announced the expansion of its Qlean Dataset, a premium AI training data solution designed for developers building high-performance Japanese speech foundation models. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401752248/en/ Visual Bank Group, leveraging over 40 years of expertise through amanaimages Inc., expands Qlean Dataset, delivering high quality, rights cleared Japanese language corpora, including 100,000+ hours of commercially usable audio. A new development within the Qlean Dataset division, which focuses on providing datasets for institutions engaged in research and development, with rights cleared for AI training and large-scale data applications, has positioned the company as a leading provider of
Manna Air Delivery Raises $50Million Series B as It Announces Plans to Expand in the United States1.4.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Manna Air Delivery, a global leader in consumer drone delivery, has announced a $50 million funding round to scale its proven operations further in the United States and Europe. The round brings Manna’s total funding to $110million. Manna now operates one of the most active consumer drone delivery networks in the world, with more than 250,000 regulated commercial UAV flights completed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310714366/en/ Manna Air Delivery raises $50m Series B Investors in the round include ARK Invest, known for backing companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Tesla and SpaceX, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) and Schooner Capital, alongside existing investors Coca-Cola HBC and Molten Ventures. As an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivery pioneer, Manna has operated in six locations across its native Ireland, as well as in Finland and Texas over the past seven years, delivering items inclu
Bureau Veritas Launches an Independent AI Assessment Offering for European Enterprises, Developed in Partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS)1.4.2026 18:45:00 EEST | Press release
Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification services (TIC), announces the launch of an AI systems audit to help European enterprises assess and demonstrate their compliance with the European Union's "AI Act" regulatory requirements. This offering combines on-site audits, document analysis, and direct testing to deliver an independent maturity report. Since the EU's AI regulation came into force in 2024, companies have faced major implementation challenges. According to a recent report*, 68% of them struggle to interpret the provisions of the text, while 60% have yet to put in place the governance needed to comply. Non-compliance can cost them up to 7% of annual revenue. Bureau Veritas has developed this new audit offering to help companies identify their compliance gaps and remedy them. Bureau Veritas's new audit offering comprises a pre-audit, document review, on-site audit, and direct testing, resulting in an independent report on the client's AI maturit
Greenland Resources Signs Eight Year Off-take Agreement With SSAB to Supply High Quality Molybdenum1.4.2026 17:29:00 EEST | Press release
Greenland Resources Inc. (TSX:MOLY, FSE:M0LY) (“Greenland Resources” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the Company has signed a binding off-take agreement with SSAB, a Nordic and US-based steel producer headquartered in Sweden. The company is a leading producer on the global market for advanced high-strength steels providing solutions to the defence, automotive, infrastructure and energy industries. A stock exchange press release from SSAB can be found on their website at www.ssab.com This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260401270749/en/ The off-take agreement provides an established price floor and price ceiling and will allow SSAB to secure high quality low carbon emission ferromolybdenum extracted in Greenland and refined in Belgium. SSAB will be able to ensure a stable and responsibly sourced long term secured primary molybdenum supply with high sustainability standards and low scope 1&2 emissions from a
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom