How changes in the Medicare coverage process have facilitated the spread of new technologies.

The Medicare coverage decision process can affect the availability and use of new technologies. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently made advances in making its coverage decision process speedier, predictable, and more transparent. The CMS recently issued draft Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) guidance to assure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to new technologies through expanded coverage criteria, while gathering information that can be helpful to the doctors who care for them. The CMS continues these efforts with the goal of improving the evidence used for high-quality care, while avoiding unnecessary risks and costs.