Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Initiates Review for Expanded Reimbursement Coverage of Vasomedical's EECP-R- Therapy; CMS Requests Public Comments as the First Step of the Review Process.WESTBURY, N.Y. -- Vasomedical, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on SC: VASO), a leader in the noninvasive treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases, has been notified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), previously known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) that administers the Medicare program and (CMS (1) See content management system and color management system. (2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. ) that the application requesting consideration for expansion of the national coverage for EECP EECP® Enhanced external counterpulsation, see there (R) therapy has been accepted. The company currently markets the therapy for chronic stable angina chronic stable angina Cardiology The most common form of angina, characterized by chest discomfort due to myocardial ischemia, and unaccompanied by myocardial necrosis; the cause of pain is uncertain, possibly substances released during transient ischemia–eg, and congestive heart failure congestive heart failure, inability of the heart to expel sufficient blood to keep pace with the metabolic demands of the body. In the healthy individual the heart can tolerate large increases of workload for a considerable length of time. and has been actively working to expand Medicare reimbursement coverage for less severe angina and to include coverage for congestive heart failure as a primary indication. "We are pleased that CMS has accepted our application and begun the process for consideration of the national coverage determination. We will continue our efforts to provide the clinical evidence and support of this noninvasive option for treating cardiovascular diseases," said Thomas Glover, president and chief executive officer of Vasomedical. "Significant benefits of EECP therapy for treating angina and congestive heart failure including improvements in the ability to exercise, reduction in symptoms and improved quality of life have been reported in numerous studies including the most recent PEECH PEECH Prospective Evaluation of EECP in Congestive Heart Failure trial results," he added. CMS has started a public comment period requesting feedback on the clinical evidence evaluating the health outcomes of ECCP ECCP European Centre for Conflict Prevention ECCP European Climate Change Programme ECCP European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines ECCP Engineering Concepts Curriculum Project ECCP Equity Central Counterparty ECCP Eccentric Creatures Club Page therapy for Class II angina as listed in the request as well as the evidence submitted for EECP therapy for patients with NYHA NYHA New York Heart Association Class II/III stable heart failure. This public comment period is open until July 20, 2005. A proposed coverage decision memo date is scheduled for December 20, 2005. Additional information is available at the CMS website: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=162 About EECP(R) Therapy EECP(R) external counterpulsation therapy is typically given in 35 one-hour-sessions over seven weeks. Patients lie down on a padded table and their calves, lower thighs and upper thighs are wrapped in a cuff set. The system, which is synchronized to the individual patient's cardiac cycle cardiac cycle n. A complete beat of the heart, including systole and diastole and the intervals between, beginning with any event in the heart's action to the moment when that same event is repeated. , inflates the cuffs with air to create external pressure when the heart is resting and deflates the cuffs just before the heart beats. The system's action, which pulses counter to the heart's beating, increases blood flow to the heart muscle and decreases the heart's workload, creating a greater oxygen supply for the heart muscle while lowering the heart's need for oxygen. About Vasomedical, Inc. Vasomedical, Inc. is primarily engaged in designing, manufacturing, marketing and supporting EECP(R) external counterpulsation systems based on the Company's proprietary technology. EECP(R) therapy is a noninvasive, outpatient therapy for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system currently indicated for use in cases of angina, cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction acute myocardial infarction ( EECP is a registered trademark for Vasomedical's enhanced external counterpulsation enhanced external counterpulsation Cardiology A nonsurgical treatment of angina pectoris and CAD which ↑ blood flow to the heart by compressing blood vessels in the lower extremities. See MUST-EECP. systems. Except for historical information contained in this release, the matters discussed are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this report, words such as "anticipated," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "may," "plans," "potential" and "intends" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the effect of the dramatic changes taking place in the healthcare environment; the impact of competitive procedures and products and their pricing; medical insurance reimbursement policies; unexpected manufacturing or supplier problems; unforeseen difficulties and delays in product development programs; the actions of regulatory authorities and third-party payers in the United States and overseas; uncertainties about the acceptance of a novel therapeutic modality by the medical community; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments. |
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