Medica Health Plans of Minnesota, a Blue Cross Blue Shield company, has updated its reimbursement policy for Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing and provides positive coverage effective September 19, 2012. Specifically, FeNO testing is covered for the treatment of asthma when it is used in the diagnosis of allergic airway inflammation or when used in determining likelihood of steroid responsiveness in individuals with chronic symptoms suggestive of allergic airway inflammation.
Medica Health Plans is the third largest private payer in Minnesota and also provides insurance to enrollees in Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota. With this and other recent private payer coverage changes, FeNO coverage in the state of Minnesota is projected at over 91 percent.
In addition to the Medica Health Plans, Utah’s Medicaid program is covering FeNO as of October 1, 2012. With the addition of the state of Utah, FeNO is now covered in 34 states.
“As outlined in a recent publication, adding FeNO to make a comprehensive asthma program improved patient outcomes while at the same time reduced costs – isn’t this what we are all looking for in a new technology?” said Kathy Hodgdon, an Aerocrine spokeswoman. “With these positive changes in policy, Aerocrine has expanded FeNO coverage to approximately 60% across all private and public sectors.”
“Our growth in reimbursement in the past year is quite noteworthy. With more and more data being published on the clinical relevance and the health economic benefits our simple, easy to use and cost effective test provides, even more health plans have been convinced to provide reimbursement to physicians who use our test on their patients,” said Ken Marshall, U.S. president for Aerocrine Operations.
Source: Aerocrine AB
