Medicare CED: Considerations and Implications

In light of the rapid pace of development of new medical technology and treatment, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is faced with a significant challenge in developing an efficient process to determine what technology and treatments effectively improve the health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries at a reasonable cost. In April 2005, CMS issued a somewhat controversial draft guidance on Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) to help meet that challenge.