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CMS Finalizes Rate Hike for BG Medicine's Galectin-3 Test

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BG Medicine said today that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have published the final determination of the 2014 Medicare national limitation amount for the company's galectin-3 test, arriving at a price of $30.01.

This is an increase over the test's 2013 national limitation of $17.80, and represents a win for BG Medicine, which had petitioned CMS for reconsideration of the 2013 determination.

CMS announced a preliminary decision to set the higher rate in September, but it was not certain that it would uphold that decision in its final determination.

The 2014 limitation is effective Jan. 1 in all states except in Ohio and West Virginia where rates of $23.99 and $26.40, respectively, will apply. In addition, the company noted, the 2014 national limitation amount is subject to a 2 percent sequestration applicable to Medicare services if the current federal government sequestration is extended beyond Jan. 15, 2014.

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