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 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) 
b. Symptomatic (ONE):  
i. Hospitalized with severe pain (Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) or Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain 
score  8) 
ii. Non-hospitalized with moderate to severe pain (NRS or VAS 5) despite optimal non-surgical 
management (NSM) (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 care (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. 
2. Exclusion criteria (Can have NONE of the following): 
a. Absolute contraindication 
i. Current back pain is not primarily due to the identified acute or subacute VCF(s) 
ii. Osteomyelitis, discitis or active systemic or surgical site infection iii. Pregnancy 
b. Relative contraindication 
i. Allergy to bone cement or opacification agents 
ii. Uncorrected coagulopathy 
iii. Spinal instability 
iv. Myelopathy from the fracture 
v. Neurologic deficit 
vi. Neural impingement 
vii. Fracture retropulsion/canal compromise 
viii. Greater than three vertebral fractures 
You can find this in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation (PVA) 
for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture (VCF) (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 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 102 and 162 of the Plan's 2022 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. 
Facet Joint Interventions generally consist of four types of procedures: Intraarticular (IA) Facet Joint Injections, 
Medial Branch Blocks (MBB), Radiofrequency Ablations (RFA) and Facet cyst rupture/aspiration: 
Facet Joint Interventions are considered medically reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of 
chronic pain in patients who meet ALL the following criteria:  
1. Moderate to severe chronic neck or low back pain, predominantly axial, that causes functional deficit 
measured on pain or disability scale* 
2. Pain present for minimum of 3 months with documented failure to respond to noninvasive conservative 
management (as tolerated) 
3. Absence of untreated radiculopathy or neurogenic claudication (except for radiculopathy caused by 
facet joint synovial cyst) 
4. There is no non-facet pathology per clinical assessment or radiology studies that could explain the 
source of the patients pain, including but not limited to fracture, tumor, infection, or significant 
deformity.  
You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Local Coverage Determination 
(LCD): Facet Joint Interventions for Pain Management (L38801). 
 
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. The contract also says that 
the Plan covers one crown procedure per tooth, every five plan years. You can find this information on pages 4-
65 to 4-78 of the Plans 2022 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 thermal radiofrequency destruction of cervical, thoracic, or lumbar paravertebral facet 
joint (medial branch) nerves are considered medically reasonable and necessary for patients who meet ALL the 
following criteria: 
  
   
        Initial thermal RFA: 
            After the patient has had at least two (2) medically reasonable and necessary diagnostic MBBs, with 
each one providing a consistent minimum of 80% sustained relief of primary (index) pain (with the duration of 
relief being consistent with the agent used) AND 
            Repeat thermal facet joint RFA at the same anatomic site is considered medically reasonable and 
necessary provided the patient had a minimum of consistent 50% improvement in pain for at least six (6) 
months or at least 50% consistent improvement in the ability to perform previously painful movements and 
ADLs as compared to baseline measurement using the same scale; 
 
Frequency Limitation: For each covered spinal region no more than two (2) radiofrequency sessions will be 
reimbursed per rolling 12 months. 
 
You can find this information in the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) Facet Joint Interventions for Pain 
Management (L35936). 
 
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
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 Part B generally does not pay for drugs that are usually self-administered by the 
patients who take them. Examples of self-administered drugs are drugs in pill form and those used for self-
injection. The only exceptions are: 
 
1. blood-clotting factors;  
2. drugs used in immunosuppressive therapy; 
3. erythropoietin for dialysis patients;  
4. osteoporosis drugs for certain homebound patients; 
5. certain oral cancer drugs;  
6. oral anti-emetics used in certain situations (when used as a full therapeutic replacement for IV anti-emetic 
drugs that would have been  
administered at the time of the cancer chemotherapy treatment);  
7. drugs treated as supplies during an outpatient hospital procedure; and  
8. drugs required for the effective use of durable medical equipment. 
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, Sections 50, 50.2, 50.5, and 110.3. 
 
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.
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 Leadless pacemakers are non-covered when furnished outside of a Medicare approved CED 
study. This rule is found in National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Leadless Pacemakers (20.8.4). 
 
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 for purposes of payment under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), the Place of 
Service (POS) code is generally used to reflect the actual setting where the beneficiary receives the face-to-face 
service. For example, if the physician's face-to-face encounter with a patient occurs in the office, the correct 
POS code on the claim, in general, reflects the 2-digit POS code 11 for office. In these instances, the 2-digit 
POS code (Item 24B on the claim Form CMS-1500) will match the address and ZIP entered in the service 
location (Item 32 on the 1500 Form) - the physical/geographical location of the physician. However, there are 
two exceptions to this general rule - these are for a service rendered to a patient who is a registered inpatient or 
an outpatient of a hospital. In these cases, the correct POS code -- regardless of where the face-to-face service 
occurs -- is that of the appropriate inpatient POS code (at a minimum POS code 21) or that of the appropriate 
outpatient hospital POS code (at a minimum POS code 22) as discussed in section 10.5 of this chapter. So, if in 
the above example, the patient seen in the physician's office is actually an inpatient of the hospital, POS code 
21, for inpatient hospital, is correct. In this example, the POS code reflects a different setting than the address 
and ZIP code of the practice location (the physician's office). You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare 
and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 100-04, Medicare Claims Processing Manual 
Chapter 26, Section 10.6. 
 
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 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 plans must make reasonable and diligent efforts to gather and forward information 
to the Independent Review Entity (IRE). You can find this information in the Centers for Medicare and 
  
  Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Parts C & D Enrollee Grievances, Organization/Coverage 
Determinations, and Appeals Grievance Manual, Section 50.12.1. 
 
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.
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 payment is made for only one wheelchair at a time. Backup chairs are denied as not 
reasonable and necessary. This rule can be found in Medicare Local Coverage Determination (LCD): Manual 
Wheelchair Bases (L33788). 
 
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 hospital beds are covered only with a physicians prescription and sufficient documentation 
in the patients medical records to establish medical necessity for a hospital bed due to one of the following 
reasons: 
 
1. The patients condition requires positioning of the body; e.g., to alleviate pain, promote good body 
alignment, prevent contractures, avoid respiratory infections, in ways not feasible in an ordinary bed; or   
 
2. The patients condition requires special attachments that cannot be fixed and used on an ordinary bed.  
You can find this rule in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only Manual, Publication 
100-03, Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual, Chapter 1, Section 280.7. 
 
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 repeat injections 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 the same scale for at least three months. This rule can be found in Local Coverage 
Determination (LCD): Epidural Steroid Injections for Pain Management (L38994). 
 
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 a health plan must disclose to its enrollees in clear, accurate terms all cost sharing information 
(such as copayments, deductibles and coinsurance). You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.111(a) and 
(b). 
 
The rules say that a copayment is a fixed amount charged to an enrollee on a per-service basis. The rules say 
that coinsurance is a fixed percentage of the total amount paid for a health care service that can be charged to 
an enrollee on a per-service basis. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.2. 
 
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 enrollees must pay a $90 copayment for an emergency room visit. You can find this 
information on page 80 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 to qualify for home health services, the patient must be: 
 
1. Confined to the home;  
2. Under the care of a physician or allowed practitioner;  
3. Receiving services under a plan of care established and reviewed by a physician;  
4. Be in need of (a) skilled nursing care on an intermittent basis, (b) physical therapy, (c) speech therapy or (d) 
continuing occupational therapy.  
You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 409.42. 
 
The rules say that eligibility for the home health benefit will be determined based on the certifying physician or 
allowed practitioners records. If the enrollee was directly admitted to home health from an acute or post-acute 
care facility, the facility records may be used instead. The medical records for the enrollee must contain 
information that justifies the referral for home health services. 
  
The certifying physician or allowed practitioner must document that there was a face-to-face encounter with the 
enrollee within the required timeframe. The records must contain the actual clinical note for the face-to-face 
encounter visit. You can find these rules in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Internet Only 
Manual, Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Publication 100-02, Chapter 7, Section 30.5.1, 30.5.1.1, and 
30.5.1.2. 
 
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 before you can get home health services, a doctor must tell us you need them, and they must 
be provided by a home health agency. We will pay for the following services, and maybe other services not 
listed here, including part-time or intermittent skilled nursing and home health aide services (To be covered 
under the home health care benefit, your skilled nursing and home health aide services combined must total 
fewer than 8 hours per day and 35 hours per week.) You can find this information on page 56 of the Plan's 2022 
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 a health plan must disclose to its enrollees in clear, accurate terms all cost sharing information 
(such as copayments, deductibles and coinsurance). You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.111(a) and 
(b). 
 
The rules say that a copayment is a fixed amount charged to an enrollee on a per-service basis. The rules say 
that coinsurance is a fixed percentage of the total amount paid for a health care service that can be charged to 
an enrollee on a per-service basis. You can find this rule at 42 CFR Section 422.2. 
 
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 enrollees must pay a $155 copayment for radiological diagnostic services, including 
ultrasounds in a physicians office. You can find this information on page 4-33 of the Plan's 2021 Evidence of 
Coverage (EOC).