Auric,
I take it this is what you were foreshadowing:
FRANKLIN, Mass., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- PLC Systems Inc. (Amex: PLC), a leader in transmyocardial revascularization (TMR), today announced that the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) has provided an addendum to a decision memorandum (dated 12/30/98) clarifying Medicare coverage for transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) procedures. In response to questions from practicing physicians, staff in HCFA's Coverage and Analysis Group made the policy clarification. The addendum clarifies coverage of TMR " ... in cases where transmyocardial revascularization (TMR) is used as an adjunct to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), such use constitutes a covered use of TMR under the terms of our current manual instruction (CIM section 35-94)." The addendum also stated, "In cases where patients are scheduled for a CABG but are found, often during the procedure, to have areas of viable myocardium that cannot be bypassed because of diffuse or distal disease. Medicare will cover adjunctive TMR in those areas refractory to the scheduled therapy." The entire policy clarification can be obtained at
www.hcfa.gov/quality/8b3-d4.htm.
Working with leading researchers and premier heart surgery centers around the world, PLC developed the world's first FDA-approved TMR device, a high-powered laser known as The Heart Laser(TM) System. Designed to perform TMR in the safest manner possible, The Heart Laser System was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last August for treatment of the estimated 80,000 domestic patients each year who suffer from severe coronary artery disease but cannot be treated with conventional coronary revascularization techniques such as bypass surgery or angioplasty. For more information on PLC and its products, please visit the Company's Web site at plcmed.com.
SOURCE PLC Systems Inc.
-0- 10/20/1999
/CONTACT: John Jordan, Manager of Investor Relations of PLC Systems Inc.,
508-541-8800, ext. 145/
/Web site: plcmed.com
(PLC)
CO: PLC Systems Inc.
ST: Massachusetts
IN: MTC
SU:
LZ
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4311 10/20/1999 09:34 EDT prnewswire.com |
