Wall Street Journal: Medicare’s Organ Transplant Face Plant
Patients and doctors explain the damage from denying crucial blood tests in the name of saving money.
By: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board
We told you recently about organ transplant patients who are denied Medicare coverage for blood tests that can identify problems early. The words of doctors, patients and transplant experts should dispel any doubt that the tests are a critical part of patient care.
In March, MolDX, a program run by Medicare contractor Palmetto GBA, changed the guidance for when the tests can be used, limiting their approval to the frequency that would otherwise apply to biopsies. MolDX said the change is merely a clarification of the coverage, but the transplant community says it’s a step backward for patient care in the name of government cost controls.