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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 PTA and stenting of vessels is covered only when all of the following conditions are met: 
 
    The patient has undergone prior thorough medical evaluation and management of symptoms. See below 
under specific categories for guidelines on medical evaluation and management recommendations. 
    Surgical intervention would otherwise be considered as an alternative treatment for the patient. 
    A stent may be placed as a planned adjunct to PTA rather than in response to a suboptimal or failed PTA (so-
called primary stent deployment). Primary stenting is justified for situations where PTA alone is not expected 
to provide a durable result, such as arterial or venous occlusions that carry a high risk for distal embolization or 
rapid recurrence OR occlusive lesions known to be unfavorable for PTA alone such as significantly calcified 
lesions, eccentric lesions, lesions related to external compression (e.g., May-Thurner syndrome and malignant 
compression of the superior vena cava), or ostial renal artery stenosis. 
 
You can find this information in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Non-Coronary Vascular Stents 
L35998. 
 
The PTA is covered when used under the following conditions: 
 
1. Treatment of Atherosclerotic Obstructive Lesions 
 
In the lower extremities, i.e., the iliac, femoral, and popliteal arteries, or in the upper extremities, i.e., the 
innominate, subclavian, axillary, and brachial arteries. The upper extremities do not include head or neck 
vessels. 
 
Of a single coronary artery for patients for whom the likely alternative treatment is coronary bypass surgery 
and who exhibit the following characteristics: 
 
    Angina refractory to optimal medical management; 
    Objective evidence of myocardial ischemia; and 
    Lesions amenable to angioplasty. 
 
Of the renal arteries for patients in whom there is an inadequate response to a thorough medical management 
of symptoms and for whom surgery is the likely alternative. PTA for this group of patients is an alternative to 
surgery, not simply an addition to medical management.  
Of arteriovenous dialysis fistulas and grafts when performed through either a venous or arterial approach. 
 
2. Concurrent with Carotid Stent Placement in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-Approved Category B 
Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) Clinical Trials 
 
Effective July 1, 2001, Medicare covers PTA of the carotid artery concurrent with carotid stent placement 
when furnished in accordance with the FDA-approved protocols governing Category B IDE clinical trials. 
PTA of the carotid artery, when provided solely for the purpose of carotid artery dilation concurrent with 
carotid stent placement, is considered to be a reasonable and necessary service when provided in the context of 
such a clinical trial. 
 
3. Concurrent with Carotid Stent Placement in FDA-Approved Post Approval Studies 
 
Effective October 12, 2004, Medicare covers PTA of the carotid artery concurrent with the placement of an 
FDA-approved carotid stent and an FDA-approved or -cleared embolic protection device (effective December 
9, 2009) for an FDA-approved indication when furnished in accordance with FDA-approved protocols 
governing post-approval studies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) determines that 
coverage of PTA of the carotid artery is reasonable and necessary in these circumstances. 
 
4. Concurrent with Carotid Stent Placement in Patients at High Risk for Carotid Endarterectomy (CEA) 
 
Effective March 17, 2005, Medicare covers PTA of the carotid artery concurrent with the placement of an 
FDA-approved carotid stent with embolic protection for the following: 
 
    Patients who are at high risk for CEA and who also have symptomatic carotid artery stenosis = 70%. 
Coverage is limited to procedures performed using FDA-approved carotid artery stenting (CAS) systems and 
FDA-approved or -cleared (effective December 9, 2009) embolic protection devices. If deployment of the 
embolic protection device is not technically possible, and not performed, then the procedure is not covered by 
Medicare (effective December 9, 2009); 
    Patients who are at high risk for CEA and have symptomatic carotid artery stenosis between 50% and 70%, 
in accordance with the Category B IDE clinical trials regulation (42 CFR 405.201), as a routine cost under the 
clinical trials policy (Medicare National Coverage Determination (NCD) Manual 310.1), or in accordance with 
the NCD on (CAS) post-approval studies (Medicare NCD Manual 20.7); 
Patients who are at high risk for CEA and have asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis = 80%, in accordance with 
the Category B IDE clinical trials regulation (42 CFR 405.201), as a routine cost under the clinical trials policy 
(Medicare NCD Manual 310.1), or in accordance with the NCD on CAS post- approval studies (Medicare 
NCD Manual 20.7). 
 
Coverage is limited to procedures performed using an FDA-approved CAS, stents and FDA-approved or -
cleared embolic protection devices. 
 
The use of an FDA-approved or cleared embolic protection device is required. If deployment of the embolic 
protection device is not technically possible, and not performed, then the procedure is not covered by Medicare. 
 
Patients at high risk for CEA are defined as having significant comorbidities and/or anatomic risk factors (i.e., 
recurrent stenosis and/or previous radical neck dissection), and would be poor candidates for CEA. Significant 
comorbid conditions include but are not limited to: 
 
    Congestive heart failure (CHF) class III/IV; 
    Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 30 %; 
    Unstable angina;     Contralateral carotid occlusion; 
    Recent myocardial infarction (MI); 
    Previous CEA with recurrent stenosis; 
    Prior radiation treatment to the neck; and 
    Other conditions that were used to determine patients at high risk for CEA in the prior carotid artery stenting 
trials and studies, such as ARCHER, CABERNET, SAPPHIRE, BEACH, and MAVERIC II. 
 
Symptoms of carotid artery stenosis include carotid transient ischemic attack (distinct focal neurological 
dysfunction persisting less than 24 hours), focal cerebral ischemia producing a nondisabling stroke (modified 
Rankin scale < 3 with symptoms for 24 hours or more), and transient monocular blindness (amaurosis fugax). 
Patients who have had a disabling stroke (modified Rankin scale = 3) shall be excluded from coverage. 
 
The determination that a patient is at high risk for CEA and the patients symptoms of carotid artery stenosis 
shall be available in the patient medical records prior to performing any procedure. 
 
The degree of carotid artery stenosis shall be measured by duplex Doppler ultrasound or carotid artery 
angiography and recorded in the patient's medical records. If the stenosis is measured by ultrasound prior to the 
procedure, then the degree of stenosis must be confirmed by angiography at the start of the procedure. If the 
stenosis is determined to be < 70% by angiography, then CAS should not proceed. 
 
In addition, CMS has determined that CAS with embolic protection is reasonable and necessary only if 
performed in facilities that have been determined to be competent in performing the evaluation, procedure and 
follow-up necessary to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Standards to determine competency include specific 
physician training standards, facility support requirements and data collection to evaluate outcomes during a 
required reevaluation. 
 
You can find this information in the National Coverage Determination (NCD) Percutaneous Transluminal 
Angioplasty (PTA) 20.7. 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.