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National Coverage Determination (NCD)

Home Health Nurses' Visits to Patients Requiring Heparin Injection

290.2

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Tracking Information

Publication Number
100-3
Manual Section Number
290.2
Manual Section Title
Home Health Nurses' Visits to Patients Requiring Heparin Injection
Version Number
1
Effective Date of this Version
This is a longstanding national coverage determination. The effective date of this version has not been posted.
Ending Effective Date of this Version
Implementation Date
Implementation QR Modifier Date

Description Information

Benefit Category
Home Health Services


Please Note: This may not be an exhaustive list of all applicable Medicare benefit categories for this item or service.

Item/Service Description

Professional medical advice indicates that subcutaneous injections of low dose heparin can be, under certain circumstances, medically accepted therapy for the treatment of recurrent deep venous thrombosis, recurrent pulmonary emboli, and other conditions requiring long term anticoagulation. The usual drug of choice for these conditions is warfarin. Heparin may be substituted for warfarin in circumstances such as demonstrated warfarin sensitivity. Heparin is now the drug of choice for anticoagulation during pregnancy.
Indications and Limitations of Coverage

Medicare payment may be made for several visits by the home health nurse to teach the patient or the caring person to give subcutaneous injections of low dose heparin if it is prescribed by a physician for a homebound patient who:

  • Is pregnant and requires anticoagulant therapy, or
  • Requires treatment for deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary emboli or for another condition requiring anticoagulation and documentation justifies that the patient cannot tolerate warfarin.

If the patient or caring person is unable to administer the injection, nursing visits to give the injections on a daily basis, 7 days a week, for a period of up to 6 months (in the case of pregnancy, visits may be made for a period beyond 6 months if reasonable and necessary) would be reimbursed by Medicare. Coverage for these services after 6 months of treatment would be provided only if the prescribing physician can justify and document the need for such an extended course of treatment. Documentation of need for heparin injections beyond 6 months would not be required for pregnant patients who meet the homebound criteria.
Cross Reference
See the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 7
Claims Processing Instructions

Transmittal Information

Transmittal Number
Revision History
Other

National Coverage Analyses (NCAs)

This NCD has been or is currently being reviewed under the National Coverage Determination process. The following are existing associations with NCAs, from the National Coverage Analyses database.

Coding Analyses for Labs (CALs)

This NCD has been or is currently being reviewed under the National Coverage Determination process. The following are existing associations with CALs, from the Coding Analyses for Labs database.

Additional Information

Other Versions
Title Version Effective Between
Home Health Nurses' Visits to Patients Requiring Heparin Injection 1 01/01/1966 - N/A You are here
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Reasons for Denial
Note: This section has not been negotiated by the Negotiated RuleMaking Committee. It includes CMS’s interpretation of it’s longstanding policies and is included for informational purposes. Tests for screening purposes that are performed in the absense of signs, symptoms, complaints, or personal history of disease or injury are not covered except as explicity authorized by statue. These include exams required by insurance companies, business establishments, government agencies, or other third parties. Tests that are not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury are not covered according to the statue. Failure to provide documentation of the medical necessity of tests may result in denial of claims. The documentation may include notes documenting relevant signs, symptoms, or abnormal findings that substantiate the medical necessity for ordering the tests. In addition, failure to provide independent verification that the test was ordered by the treating physician (or qualified nonphysician practitioner) through documentation in the physician’s office may result in denial. A claim for a test for which there is a national coverage or local medical review policy will be denied as not reasonable and necessary if it is submitted without an ICD-9-CM code or narrative diagnosis listed as covered in the policy unless other medical documentation justifying the necessity is submitted with the claim. If a national or local policy identifies a frequency expectation, a claim for a test that exceeds that expectation may be denied as not reasonable and necessary, unless it is submitted with documentation justifying increased frequency. Tests that are not ordered by a treating physician or other qualified treating nonphysician practitioner acting within the scope of their license and in compliance with Medicare requirements will be denied as not reasonable and necessary. Failure of the laboratory performing the test to have the appropriate Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act of 1988 (CLIA) certificate for the testing performed will result in denial of claims.
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