Medicare Coverage - General Information
Guidance for the general public on the National Coverage Determination (NCD) process.
Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Issue Date: February 11, 2020
Medicare provides coverage for items and services for over 55 million beneficiaries. The vast majority of coverage is provided on a local level and developed by clinicians at the contractors that pay Medicare claims. However, in certain cases, Medicare deems it appropriate to develop a National Coverage Determination (NCD) for an item or service to be applied on a national basis for all Medicare beneficiaries meeting the criteria for coverage. This page provides general information on various parts of that NCD process, resources of both a general and historical nature, and summaries and support documents concerning several miscellaneous NCDs.
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DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.