Terumo Aortic today announced what it describes as a “significant policy milestone” with the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) establishing a new Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group (MS-DRG), MS-DRG 209, for complex aortic arch procedures.
A company press release details that this change will take effect on 1 October 2025 and represents an advancement for hospitals treating patients with the Thoraflex Hybrid device in frozen elephant trunk (FET) procedures.
For the last three years, hospitals using the Thoraflex Hybrid device have benefitted from a New Technology Add-On Payment (NTAP), first granted by CMS in 2021, to help offset the high costs of performing complex open aortic procedures. Terumo Aortic petitioned CMS for a permanent reimbursement framework that fully recognises the real-world costs of developing and delivering this care.
Following CMS’s own analysis of Medicare claims data, they concluded that a new DRG was needed to accurately reflect the resource demands and clinical complexity of these hybrid surgical-endovascular procedures.
Erik Pomp, chief executive officer of Terumo Aortic commented: “This is a pivotal moment for complex aortic care in the United States. We are proud to have supported the effort to secure more appropriate, sustainable reimbursement for hospitals and surgeons who deliver these high-risk, life-saving procedures. DRG 209 validates both the clinical importance and economic reality of using the Thoraflex Hybrid device in complex aortic arch repair.”
“The new DRG will help reduce financial uncertainty for providers, while improving access to innovative care for patients with life-threatening aortic disease. We would like to thank CMS for recognising the critical need to support hospitals who commit to performing complex aortic treatment,” added Tarik Pacuka, chief commercial officer.
Pacuka further emphasised that, “This milestone is another example of Terumo Aortic remaining committed to aortic care by working closely with hospitals, health systems, and policymakers to ensure the delivery of world class healthcare through the introduction of next generation devices.”
