LCD/NCD Portal

NCD30.2

 

THERMOGENIC THERAPY

 

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

• Thermogenic therapy which is the production of artificial fever has been in use since 1919 in the treatment of certain types of resistant infectious diseases, rheumatoid arthritis and Sydenham's chorea.

 

Indications and Limitations of Coverage

• Regardless of the medium by which the fever is induced, this modality is not scientifically accepted for the treatment of any specific disease.

• Since the advent of potent antibiotics, the procedure has for all practical purposes been replaced as a mode of treatment.

• Therefore, thermogenic therapy is not considered reasonable and necessary for the treatment of an illness or injury as required by section 1862(a) (1) of the Act.

• (Of course, where other covered services are needed and it would be reasonable and necessary that they be furnished on an inpatient hospital basis, payment would not be excluded for the inpatient stay, notwithstanding the fact that reimbursement may not be made for thermogenic therapy furnished during the hospital stay.)

 

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