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 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 pages 89 to 90 of the Plan's 2023 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 durable medical equipment (DME) is defined as equipment which: 
 
- Can withstand repeated use; i.e., could normally be rented and used by successive patients; 
- Is primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose; 
- Generally is not useful to a person in the absence of illness or injury; and, 
- Is appropriate for use in a patients home.  
 
You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 
100-03, Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual, Section 280.1. 
 
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 state that Medicare Advantage organizations may limit coverage to certain Durable Medical 
Equipment (DME) brands, items, and supplies. A plan must ensure that: 
-Its contracts with DME suppliers ensure that enrollee have access to all DME brands, items, and supplies of 
preferred manufacturers. 
-Enrollees have access to all medically-necessary DME brands, items, and supplies of non-preferred 
manufacturers. 
-At the enrollees request, it provides for an appropriate transition process for new enrollees 
 
You can find these rules in 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 422.100(I). 
 
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 these are the only covered brands of blood glucose monitors and test strips: ACCU-CHEK 
manufactured by Roche, or Trividia products sometimes packaged under a pharmacys name. You can find this 
information in Chapter 4 on pages 52 to 53 of the Plans 2023 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. This benefit includes dental 
services as a supplemental (extra) benefit. This benefit includes coverage for removal of residual tooth roots 
(cutting procedure) tooth (D7250) and is limited to one per tooth. You can find this information on page 68 of 
the Plans 2023 Evidence of Coverage (EOC), and and in the Plan's  2023 Dental Benefit document.
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 clinical assessments of beneficiary rehabilitation potential must be based on the following 
classification levels: 
 
Level 0: Does not have the ability or potential to ambulate or transfer safely with or without assistance and a 
prosthesis does not enhance their quality of life or mobility. 
Level 1: Has the ability or potential to use a prosthesis for transfers or ambulation on level surfaces at fixed 
cadence. Typical of the limited and unlimited household ambulator. 
Level 2: Has the ability or potential for ambulation with the ability to traverse low level environmental barriers 
such as curbs, stairs or uneven surfaces. Typical of the limited community ambulator. 
Level 3: Has the ability or potential for ambulation with variable cadence. Typical of the community ambulator 
who has the ability to traverse most environmental barriers and may have vocational, therapeutic, or exercise 
activity that demands prosthetic utilization beyond simple locomotion. 
Level 4: Has the ability or potential for prosthetic ambulation that exceeds basic ambulation skills, exhibiting 
high impact, stress, or energy levels. Typical of the prosthetic demands of the child, active adult, or athlete. 
 
The records must document the beneficiarys current functional capabilities and his/her expected functional 
potential, including an explanation for the difference, if that is the case. It is recognized, within the functional 
classification hierarchy, that bilateral amputees often cannot be strictly bound by functional level 
classifications. 
 
A fluid, pneumatic, or electronic/microprocessor knee (L5828 and L5856) is covered for beneficiaries whose 
functional level is 3 or above. L5845, L5850, L5848 and L5925 are additional feature and/or function that does 
not describe a complete endoskeletal knee-shin system and must be used in combination with an L-code for a 
knee-shin system. You can find this rule in the Local Coverage Determination and Article for Lower Limb 
Prostheses, L33787 and A52496. 
 
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 medically necessary services are those that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or 
treatment of an illness or injury. Medically necessary services include services to improve the functioning of a 
malformed body member. You can find this rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(1)(A). 
 
The rules say that services that are not medically necessary are not covered. The rules also say that 
experimental and investigational devices are not covered. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Sections 411.15 and 
411.15(o). 
The rules say that presumptive urine drug testing (UDT) may be ordered by the clinician caring for a 
beneficiary when it is necessary to rapidly obtain and/or integrate results into clinical assessment and treatment 
decisions. Definitive UDT may be reasonable and necessary based on patient specific indications, including 
historical use, medication response, and clinical assessment, when accurate results are necessary to make 
clinical decisions. The clinicians rationale for the definitive UDT and the tests ordered must be documented in 
the patients medical record. You can find the rules in Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Controlled 
Substance Monitoring and Drugs of Abuse Testing L36029. 
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 diagnostic sacroiliac joint injection (SIJI) is used to determine if the etiology of pain is 
from the sacroiliac joint complex. Diagnostic SIJI are considered reasonable and necessary for patients who 
meet ALL the following criteria: 
1. The patient must meet the criteria for Covered Indications for SIJI, AND 
2. The SI joint injections must be performed under computed tomography (CT) or fluoroscopy 
image guidance with contrast, except ultrasound guidance may be considered reasonable and 
necessary when there is a documented contrast allergy or pregnancy, since the accuracy with 
ultrasound guidance is inferior to fluoroscopic guidance, AND 
3. SI joint injection are not performed with other musculoskeletal injections in the lumbosacral 
spine, AND 
4. The documentation should show direct causal benefit from the SI joint injection and not from 
other musculoskeletal injections or treatments, AND 
5. The diagnostic SIJI provided a minimum of 75% relief of primary (index) pain with the 
diagnostic SIJI (a positive diagnostic response is defined as greater than or equal to 75% 
sustained and constant pain relief for the duration of the local anesthetic and greater than or 
equal to 75% sustained and constant pain relief for the duration of the anti-inflammatory steroid) 
was measured by the SAME pain scale at baseline. The measurements of pain must be taken 
pre-injection on the day of the SIJ injection, post-intervention on the day of the injection, and 
the days following the injection to substantiate and corroborate the pain scores consistent with 
the pain relief for the duration of the local anesthetic and/or steroid used. 
 
You can find this rule in the Local Coverage Determination for Sacroiliac Joint Injections and Procedures, 
L39455.  
 
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 sacroiliac joint injections (SIJIs) will be considered medically reasonable and necessary 
when all the following requirements are met: 
1. Moderate to severe LBP primarily experienced over the anatomical location of the SIJs between 
the upper level of the iliac crests and the gluteal fold, AND 
2. LBP duration of at least 3 months, AND 
3. LBP below L5 without radiculopathy, AND 
4. Clinical findings and/or imaging studies do not suggest any other diagnosed or obvious cause of 
the lumbosacral pain (such as central spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication/myelopathy, 
foraminal stenosis or disc herniation with concordant radicular pain/radiculopathy, infection, 
tumor, fracture, pseudoarthrosis, or pain related to spinal instrumentation), AND 
5. At least 3 positive findings with provocative maneuvers: FABER, Gaenslen, Thigh Thrust or 
Posterior Shear, SI Compression, SI Distraction and Yeoman Tests, AND 
6. LBP persists despite a minimum of 4 weeks of conservative therapies. 
 
You can find this rule in the Local Coverage Determination for Sacroiliac Joint Injections and Procedures, 
L39402.  
 
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 ILR is a type of cardiac event monitor. It is used when syncope is thought to be cardiac-
related, but is too infrequent to be detected by either a HolterTM monitor or a traditional pre-symptom loop 
recorder. You can find this information in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet-Only 
Manual, Publication 100-03, National Coverage Determination (NCD) Manual, Section 20.15.  
 
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 medically necessary services are those that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or 
treatment of an illness or injury. Medically necessary services include services to improve the functioning of a 
malformed body member. You can find this rule in the Social Security Act, Section 1862(a)(1)(A). 
 
The rules say that services that are not medically necessary are not covered. The rules also say that 
experimental and investigational devices are not covered. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Sections 411.15 and 
411.15(o). 
 
The rules say that PVA (percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) or kyphoplasty (PKP)) is covered in patients with 
BOTH the following: 
1. Inclusion criteria (ALL are required): 
 
a. Acute (< 6 weeks) or subacute (6-12 weeks) osteoporotic VCF (T1  L5) by recent (within 30 
days) advanced imaging (bone marrow edema on MRI or bone-scan/SPECT/CT uptake) 
3,10,25,27 
 
b. Symptomatic (ONE):  
i. Hospitalized with severe pain (Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) or Visual Analog Scale 
(VAS) pain score  8) 4-7 
 
ii. Non-hospitalized with moderate to severe pain (NRS or VAS 5) despite optimal non-
surgical management (NSM)10* (ONE): 
1. Worsening pain 
2. Stable to improved pain (but NRS or VAS still 5) (with  2 of the following): 
A. Progression of vertebral body height loss 
B. > 25% vertebral body height reduction 
C. Kyphotic deformity 
D. Severe impact of VCF on daily functioning (Roland Morris Disability 
Questionnaire (RDQ) >17) c. Continuum of care10 (BOTH): 
i. All patients presenting with VCF should be referred for evaluation of BMD and 
osteoporosis education for subsequent treatment as indicated. 
ii. All patients with VCF should be instructed to take part in an osteoporosis 
prevention/treatment program. 
 
You can find this information under Local Coverage Determination  L38737. 
 
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 and cover any medically necessary covered benefit of the plan provider network, but at in-network 
cost sharing, when an in-network provider or benefit is unavailable or inadequate to meet a member's medical 
needs. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.112(a)(1)(iii). 
 
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 24 of the Plan's 2023 
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 repeat epidural steroid injection (ESI), when the first injection directly and significantly 
provided improvement of the condition being treated, may be considered medically reasonable and necessary 
when the medical record documents at least 50% of sustained improvement in pain relief and/or improvement 
in function measured from baseline for at least three months. If a patient fails to respond well to the initial ESI, 
a repeat ESI after 14 days can be performed, using a different approach, level and/or medication if appropriate, 
with the rationale and medical necessity for the second ESI documented in the medical record. You can find 
this information in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) L39015: Epidural Steroid Injections for Pain 
Management. 
 
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 Epidural steroid injection (ESI) will be considered medically reasonable and necessary when 
the following requirements are met: 
o History, physical examination, and concordant radiological image-based diagnostic testing that 
supports one of the following: 
 Lumbar, cervical or thoracic radiculopathy, radicular pain and/or neurogenic 
claudication due to disc herniation, osteophyte or osteophyte complexes, severe 
degenerative disc disease, producing foraminal or central spinal stenosis
 
OR 
 Post-laminectomy syndrome, OR 
 Acute herpes zoster associated pain. 
AND 
o Radiculopathy, radicular pain and/or neurogenic claudication is severe enough to greatly impact 
quality of life or function. An objective pain scale or functional assessment must be performed 
at baseline (prior to interventions). The same scale must be used at each follow-up for 
assessment of response. 
AND 
o Pain duration of at least four (4) weeks, and the inability to tolerate noninvasive conservative 
care or medical documentation of failure to respond to four (4) weeks of noninvasive 
conservative care or acute herpes zoster refractory to conservative management where a four (4) 
week wait is not required. 
 
Repeat ESI when the first injection directly and significantly provided improvement of the condition being 
treated may be considered medically reasonable and necessary when the medical record documents at least 
50% of sustained improvement in pain relief and/or improvement in function measured from baseline using 
SAME scale for at least three months.
 
If a patient fails to respond well to the initial ESI, a repeat ESI after 14 
days can be performed using a different approach, level and/or medication, if appropriate, with the rationale 
and medical necessity for the second ESI documented in the medical record. You can find this rule in the Local 
Coverage Determination for Epidural Steroid Injections for Pain Management, L36920.  
 
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 a repeat epidural steroid injection when the first injection directly and significantly 
provided improvement of the condition being treated may be considered medically reasonable and necessary 
when the medical record documents at least 50% of sustained improvement in pain relief and/or improvement 
in function measured from baseline using same scale for at least three months. You can find this rule in Local 
Coverage Determination (LCD): Epidural Steroid Injections for Pain Management (L39015). 
 
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.