LCD/NCD Portal

NCD100.6

 

GASTRIC FREEZING

 

 

Effective Date of this Version

• This is a longstanding national coverage determination.

• The effective date of this version has not been posted.

 

Benefit Category

• Physicians' Services

• Note: This may not be an exhaustive list of all applicable Medicare benefit categories for this item or service.

 

Item/Service Description

• Gastric freezing for chronic peptic ulcer disease is a non-surgical treatment which was popular about 20 years ago but now is seldom done.

• It has been abandoned due to a high complication rate, only temporary improvement experienced by patients, and lack of effectiveness when tested by double-blind, controlled clinical trials.

 

Indications and Limitations of Coverage

• Since the procedure is now considered obsolete, it is NOT covered.

 

 

Medicare NCD Link