Alliance statement on CMS announcement regarding coverage for Aβ PET scans

Sue Peschin, MHS, President & CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research released the following statement:

The Alliance for Aging Research is grateful that the Administration, along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), listened to the many stakeholders in the Alzheimer’s (AD) community about the importance of incorporating new data on lecanemab into their decision on Medicare coverage for amyloid-beta (Aβ) PET scans.

We are hopeful that CMS will:

1. End the current coverage limit on Aβ PET scans for AD diagnosis, treatment assessment, and monitoring
2. End the decade-long coverage restrictions in the NCD under “coverage with evidence development” (CED) that have severely limited access
3. Provide national coverage so all Medicare beneficiaries with AD can access the tests they need and deserve.

Time is of the essence for people living with mild cognitive impairment and early stage disease due to Alzheimer’s—as well as for the many yet to be diagnosed. We are confident that the Administration and CMS will move quickly to broaden equitable access, and we will cheer them on when they do!