Medicare Proposes Restrictions On Vitamin D Testing

Medicare has proposed new restrictions on vitamin D testing. Although the proposed guidelines for reimbursement are not as restrictive as Medicare's last proposal, this proposal is restrictive nonetheless.

The new guidelines say that measurement of vitamin D levels would only be indicated for patients with:

• Chronic kidney disease stage III or greater
• Cancer
• Cirrhosis
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Granuloma-forming diseases
• Hypocalcemia
• Hypercalcemia
• Hypovitaminosis D
• Long-term use of anticonvulsants or glucocorticoids
• Malabsorption states
• Obstructive jaundice
• Osteoporosis (unresponsive to therapy)
• Osteomalacia
• Osteosclerosis
• Psoriasis
• Rickets
• Vitamin D deficiency on replacement therapy; to monitor the efficacy of treatment

The guidelines would forbid screening.

Comments can be sent via the Internet by clicking here (the proposal's LCD number is DL30273 and its name is "Vitamin D Assay Testing").

Comments can also be sent via postal mail to:

Anna Gene Risoldi
Senior Research Analyst
Highmark Medicare Services
1800 Center Street, 1AL3
Camp Hill, PA 17089

In addition, comments can be e-mailed to Daniel B. Kimball, Jr., at drdankimball@gmail.com. He is on the AMA board that reviews the policy.

Source:

Vitamin D Council: Proposed Restrictions On Vitamin D Testing