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 covered indications for treatment of chronic venous insufficiency or the lower extremities 
are:  

1. Invasive procedures will be considered medically reasonable and necessary if the patient meets the 
criteria as outlined in this Local Coverage Determination (LCD), and the intervention is addressed and 
supported in the plan of care, for a 90-day episode of care, that includes a specific treatment plan 
determined by the assessment and evaluation of the lower extremity venous incompetence. 
2. Invasive procedures for the treatment of varicose veins are considered medically reasonable and 
necessary when ALL of the following criteria have been met:  
-An evaluation of the patient has been performed including a history and physical examination, 
the clinical condition, etiology, anatomic location, pathophysiology (CEAP) clinical 
classification and the revised Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), AND 
-A duplex scan of the deep and superficial venous systems supports the examination findings,
3
 
AND 
-A duplex scan confirms the presence of reversed venous flow (reflux) with provocative 
maneuvers in the saphenous, or perforator veins is 500 milliseconds (ms) or greater and absence 
of deep venous obstruction,
 
AND -The documentation supports signs and/or symptoms that interfere with activities of daily living 
and/or quality of life, AND 
-The CEAP clinical classification is C1 to C6 with the following criteria: 
-Treatment of C1 disease (telangiectasia and their feeding reticular veins) is considered 
medically reasonable and necessary for patients with spontaneous and/or traumatic 
venous hemorrhage. 
-For patients with C2 or C3 disease and VCSS less than 6, the plan of care shall include 
documentation of a period of conservative therapy (2 to 4 weeks) including graduated 
compression 20-30 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or greater, ambulation, elevation, 
and avoiding prolonged sitting and standing. 
-For patients who meet any one of the following criteria, the mandatory conservative 
therapy prior to the invasive procedure may be waived.  
 VCSS more than or equal to 6 
 C4-C6 disease (skin changes assigned to venous disease, healed venous leg 
ulceration, and active venous leg ulceration) 
 Hemorrhage 
 Recurrent superficial thrombophlebitis 
3. Incompetent perforator vein (IPV) management by foam sclerotherapy or thermal ablation, will be 
considered medically reasonable and necessary when:  
-An active venous ulcer is in close proximity to the IPV, OR 
-The proximal significant reflux has been treated and an IPV persists under or adjacent to a 
healed venous ulcer, OR 
-The proximal and regional venous reflux has been treated and there is persisting focal pain and 
tenderness or stasis dermatitis overlying an IPV, OR 
-The incompetent perforator demonstrates reflux greater than 500 ms and diameter greater than 
3.5 millimeters (mm.) 
4. Ultrasound guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), physician-compounded foam (PCF) and non-
compounded foam (NCF) will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for ablation of 
incompetent saphenous veins and tributary veins for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP 
clinical classification C2 to C6 disease. UGFS is also considered medically reasonable and necessary 
for ablation of venous malformations. 
5. Liquid sclerotherapy will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for ablation of incompetent 
saphenous veins and tributary veins for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical 
classification C2 to C6 disease. Liquid sclerotherapy is also considered medically reasonable and 
necessary for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical classification C1 (telangiectasia 
and their feeding reticular veins) with spontaneous and/or traumatic venous hemorrhage. 
6. Thermal ablation (radiofrequency or laser) will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for 
ablation of incompetent saphenous veins for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical 
classification C2 to C6 disease. 
7. Chemical adhesives will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for ablation of incompetent 
saphenous veins for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical classification C2 to C6 
disease. 8. Mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for ablation 
of incompetent saphenous veins for the treatment of patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical 
classification C2 to C6 disease. 
9. It is the responsibility of the provider to comply with all applicable State and Federal laws related to the 
human use of agents. 
10. Surgery will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for treatment of incompetent saphenous 
veins for patients with symptomatic CEAP clinical classification C2 to C6 disease. 
11. Phlebectomy will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for symptomatic bulbous 
varicosities greater than 3mm diameter above and below the knees. If saphenous vein ablation is 
performed, phlebectomy may be staged or concomitant depending upon the vein pattern and/or provider 
preferences. 

The following are considered not medically reasonable and necessary: 
1. The treatment of CEAP clinical classification C0 (no visible or palpable signs of venous disease) is 
considered cosmetic, and therefore, not reasonable and necessary for the purposes of Medicare 
coverage. 
2. The treatment of CEAP clinical classification C1 (telangiectasias or reticular veins) will be considered 
cosmetic, and therefore, not reasonable and necessary for the purposes of Medicare coverage except in 
patients with spontaneous and/or traumatic venous hemorrhage. 
You can find this information in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Treatment of Chronic Venous 
Insufficiency of the Lower Extremities (L34924). 
 
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.