Medical Policy Updates

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Medical Policy Update for August 21, 2012

Medical Guidelines	Reason for Update
Gene Expression Testing to Predict Coronary Artery Disease	Description section updated. Policy Guidelines updated. References updated. Medical Director review 7/2012. No changes to Policy Statement.
Intradiscal Electrothermal (IDET) Annuloplasty and Percutaneous Intradiscal Radiofrequency Annuloplasty	Removed deleted CPT codes 0062T and 0063T from Billing/Coding section.
Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2	Policy Guidelines updated. References updated. Medical Director review 7/2012. No changes to Policy Statement.
Progenitor Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Damaged Myocardium Due to Ischemia	Policy Guidelines updated. References updated. Medical Director review 7/2012. No changes to Policy Statements.
Evidence Based Guidelines
Therapeutic Apheresis	Specialty Matched Consultant Advisory Panel review meeting 2/29/2012. Under "When Not Recommended" section: added thyrotoxicosis ; hyperviscosity syndrome with renal failure; clarified that SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus ) includes SLE nephritis. Under "When Recommended" section: added catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS); myeloma with acute renal failure; dense deposit disease with Factor H deficiency and/or elevated C3 nephritis factor; focal segmental glomerulosclerosis . Extensive revisions to "Recommended and Not Recommended" sections. Reviewed with medical director.