Persius/hicric huggingface dataset:
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that chronic pain has been defined as "persistent or episodic pain of duration or intensity that 
adversely affects the function or well-being of the patient, attributable to any nonmalignant etiology" ("Practice 
Guidelines for Chronic Pain Management: A Report by the American Society of Anesthesiologists Task Force 
on Pain Management, Chronic Pain Section"). In addition, the pain has been refractory to repeated attempts at 
medical management and usually has been present for at least three to six months. 
 
Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections would be considered medically reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis 
and/or treatment of chronic low back pain that is considered to be secondary to suspected sacroiliac joint 
dysfunction. Diagnostic and therapeutic injections of the SI joint would not likely be performed unless 
conservative therapy and noninvasive treatments (i.e., rest, physical therapy, NSAIDs, etc.) have failed.  
 
Diagnostic blocks of a sacroiliac joint can be performed to determine whether it is the source of low back pain. 
Arthropathy (joint disease) is diagnosed through a double-comparative local anesthetic blockade of the joint by 
the intra-articular injection of a small volume of local anesthetics of different durations of actions. A positive 
response should demonstrate initial pain relief greater than or equal to (greater than or equal to) 75% - 100% 
and the ability to perform previously painful maneuvers. Steroids may be injected in addition to the local 
anesthetic. 
 
Therapeutic sacroiliac (SI) joint injections of an anesthetic and/or steroid to block the joint for immediate, and 
potentially long lasting, pain relief are considered medically reasonable and necessary if it is determined that 
the SI joint is the source of pain in the lower back. The local anesthetic used for the procedure should not be 
billed. 
 
SI joint arthrography and/or therapeutic injection of an anesthetic/steroid should only be reported when 
imaging confirmation of intra-articular needle positioning with applicable radiological and/or fluoroscopic 
procedures have been performed.  
 
You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Local Coverage Determination 
(LCD): Pain Management (L33622). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare may cover medically accepted off-label uses for Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) approved drugs used in an anti-cancer chemotherapeutic regimen. Medicare maintains a list of 

compendia which define if a use is medically accepted. The off-label use must be supported in one or more of 
these compendia or in published, peer-reviewed medical literature. An off-label use must be supported in one 
or more of the compendia and the use must not be listed as unsupported, not indicated, not recommended, or 
equivalent terms, in any of the compendia. An off-label use may also be determined by the carrier in the state 
to be reasonable and necessary. You can find these rules and the list of the Medicare-recognized compendia in 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit 
Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 50.4.5. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.
The rules say that Medicare may cover a drug or biological if it is safe and effective and otherwise reasonable and necessary. You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 50.4.1. Medicare rules also allow the plan to use step therapy. This is the process of beginning drug therapy for a medical condition with "preferred" (or more cost-effective) on-formulary drug alternative(s) and progressing to other drug therapies only as necessary. A plan must grant an exception to its step therapy rules if it determines that the requested drug is medically necessary, consistent with the prescriber's statement. The statement must show that the step therapy drugs: have been ineffective in treating the enrollee; or are likely to be ineffective or adversely affect the drug's effectiveness or patient compliance; or are likely to cause an adverse reaction or other harm to the enrollee. Medicare Advantage plans should ensure that new step therapy requirements do not disrupt ongoing Part B drug therapies for enrollees. Step therapy may only be applied to new prescriptions or administrations of Part B drugs for enrollees that are not actively receiving the affected medication. You can find this information at 42 CFR Sections 422.2 and 422.136.
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The contract says that the Plan has step therapy requirements for certain Medicare Part B covered drugs/biologicals. Enrollees may be required to try a preferred drug before the Plan will approve the requested medication. You can find this information on page 79 of the plan's 2021 Evidence of Coverage.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.
The rules state that percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA or Kyphoplasty) procedures will be considered medically reasonable and necessary when the condition is an acute (less than 6 weeks) or subacute (6-12 weeks) osteoporotic vertebral fracture (T5-L5) confirmed by recent (within 30 days) advanced imaging. This rule can be found in Medicare Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Vertebroplasty, Vertebral Augmentation: Percutaneous (L34976).
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare will not pay for dental services. Dental services are items and services involving 
the care, treatment, filling, removal or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth. Medicare 
defines "structures directly supporting the teeth" as the periodontium, which includes the gingivae, 
dentogingival junction, periodontal membrane, cementum of the teeth, and alveolar process. You can find this 
rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(12) and in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 150. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The contract 
says that the Plan covers certain dental services as a supplemental (extra) benefit. This benefit does not include 
an upper partial denture. You can find this information on pages 21-32 of the Plan's 2021 Office Reference 
Manual (ORM) and page 44 of your Evidence of Coverage (EOC).
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare pays only for ambulance transport. Ambulance vehicles must be designed and 
equipped to meet certain requirements. The vehicle must have emergency warning lights, sirens, 
communications equipment, a stretcher, linens, emergency medical supplies, oxygen equipment and other life-
saving equipment. The vehicle also must be staffed with two people, one of whom is certified as an emergency 
medical technician. Medicare will not pay for transport by vehicles that do not meet these requirements. You 
can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 410.41(a). 
 
The rules say that plans may offer a supplemental benefit to provide transport not covered by original 
Medicare. The transport offered must be used only for the enrollee's health care needs, such as transport to the 
doctor's office. The transport must be arranged or directly provided by the health plan. The transport may not 
be used for other than health-related purposes. You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-16, Medicare Managed Care Manual, Chapter 4, Section 30.3. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The contract 
says that the Plan covers routine, non-ambulance transportation as a supplemental (extra) benefit. This benefit 
covers 48 one-way trips per year. Trips are limited to 60 miles. You can find this information on page 104 of 
the Plan's 2021 Evidence of Coverage (EOC).
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

 
The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that a Medicare plan may restrict members to a network of providers as long as medically 
necessary covered care is accessible and available through this network. The rules say that the Plan must 
arrange for specialty care outside of the Plan provider network when network providers are unavailable or 
inadequate to meet a member's medical needs. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a)(3). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The Plan 
contract says that enrollees can choose to use out-of-network providers, however they will pay a higher cost-
sharing. The only exceptions are emergencies, urgently needed care when the network is not available 
(generally, when the enrollee is out of the area), out-of-area dialysis services, and cases in which the Plan 
authorizes the use of out-of-network providers. You can find this information on page 9 of the 2021 Evidence 
of Coverage.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare covers application of skin substitutes to Ulcers or Wounds with Failed Response 
that are: 

1. Partial- or full-thickness ulcers, not involving tendon, muscle, joint capsule or exhibiting exposed bone or 
sinus tracts, with a clean granular base; 
2. Skin deficit at least 1.0 square centimeter (cm) in size; 
3. Clean and free of necrotic debris or exudate; 
4. Have adequate circulation/oxygenation to support tissue growth/wound healing as evidenced by physical 
examination; 
5. For diabetic foot ulcers, the patient's medical record reflects a diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes and 
also reflects medical management for this condition. 
You can find this information in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Application of Bioengineered Skin 
Substitutes to Lower Extremity Chronic Non-Healing Wounds (L35041). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.
The rules state that an initial thermal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of cervical, thoracic, or lumbar paravertebral facet joint (medial branch) nerves is considered medically reasonable and necessary for patients who have had at least two (2) medically reasonable and necessary diagnostic Medial Branch Blocks (MBBs), with each one providing a consistent minimum of 80% sustained relief of primary (index) pain. You can find this information is Local Coverage Determination: Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management (L33930).
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that beginning October 1, 2002, Medicare covers FDG PET for the determination of myocardial 
viability as a primary or initial diagnostic study prior to revascularization or following an inconclusive SPECT. 
Studies performed by full and partial ring scanners are covered. Limitations: In the event a patient receives a 
SPECT test with inconclusive results, a PET scan may be covered. However, if a patient receives a FDG PET 
study with inconclusive results, a follow up SPECT test is not covered. You can find this in the Medicare 
National Coverage Determination (NCD) for FDG PET for Myocardial Viability (220.6.8). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare will not pay for equipment used for a patient's comfort or for the convenience of a 
person caring for the patient. Medicare will not pay for self-help devices or precautionary equipment. You can 
find these rules in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, 
Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 110.1. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare will not pay for dental services. Dental services are items and services involving 
the care, treatment, filling, removal or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth. Medicare 
defines "structures directly supporting the teeth" as the periodontium, which includes the gingivae, 
dentogingival junction, periodontal membrane, cementum of the teeth, and alveolar process. You can find this 
rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(12) and in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 150. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The contract 
says that the Plan covers certain dental services as a supplemental (extra) benefit. This benefit includes one 
complete upper and lower dentures every five plan years. You can find this information on pages 4-87 to 4-101 
of the Plan's 2021 Evidence of Coverage (EOC).
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case.
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.
The rules state that the use of nerve blocks with or without the use of electrostimulation, and the use of
electrostimulation alone for the treatment of multiple neuropathies or peripheral neuropathies caused by
underlying systemic diseases is not considered medically reasonable and necessary.
You can find these rules in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Nerve Blocks for Peripheral Neuropathy,
L35249.
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that a Medicare plan may restrict members to a network of providers as long as medically 
necessary covered care is accessible and available through this network. The rules say that the Plan must 
arrange for specialty care outside of the Plan provider network when network providers are unavailable or 
inadequate to meet a member's medical needs. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a)(3). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that, with limited exceptions, members of the Plan must use network providers to get 
medical care and services. The only exceptions are emergencies, urgently needed care when the network is not 
available (generally, when the enrollee is out of the area), out-of-area dialysis services, and cases in which the 
Plan authorizes the use of out-of-network providers. You can find this information on page 10 of the Plans 
2021 Evidence of Coverage.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that a Medicare plan may restrict members to a network of providers as long as medically 
necessary covered care is accessible and available through this network. The rules say that the Plan must 
arrange for specialty care outside of the Plan provider network when network providers are unavailable or 
inadequate to meet a member's medical needs. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a)(3). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The Plan 
contract says that, with limited exceptions, members of the Plan must use network providers to get medical care 
and services. The only exceptions are emergencies, urgently needed care when the network is not available 
(generally, when the enrollee is out of the area), out-of-area dialysis services, and cases in which the Plan 
authorizes the use of out-of-network providers. You can find this information on page 42 of the 2021 Evidence 
of Coverage.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that plans may choose the networks of providers available to enrollees and may require enrollees 
to obtain authorization before receiving services. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a) and in 
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-16, Medicare 
Managed Care Manual, Chapter 1, Section 20.2. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The Plan 
contract says that, with limited exceptions, members of the Plan must use network providers to get medical care 
and services. The only exceptions are emergencies, urgently needed care when the network is not available 
(generally, when the enrollee is out of the area), out-of-area dialysis services, and cases in which the Plan 
authorizes the use of out-of-network providers. You can find this information on page 11 of the 2021 Evidence 
of Coverage.
Appeal type: unknown
Decision: unknown

The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case. 
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101. 
 
The rules say that Medicare will not pay for dental services. Dental services are items and services involving 
the care, treatment, filling, removal or replacement of teeth or structures directly supporting the teeth. Medicare 
defines "structures directly supporting the teeth" as the periodontium, which includes the gingivae, 
dentogingival junction, periodontal membrane, cementum of the teeth, and alveolar process. You can find this 
rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(12) and in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 
Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-02, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 15, Section 150. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com. 
 
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules. The contract 
says that the Plan covers certain dental services as a supplemental (extra) benefit. The contract says ee cover 
the following services when medically necessary and based on the benefit limitations and clinical criteria 
described in the Dental Plan's Office Manager Reference  
Manual (ORM). You can find this information on page 69 of the Plan's 2021 Evidence of Coverage. 
 
The contract says that this benefit includes partial dentures once every 60 months, per arch. You can find this 
information on page 318 of the Plan's 2021 Evidence of Coverage (EOC).