NorthWest Biotherapeutics Inc (NWBO)

[hyperopia]

In 2016, NVCR charged my grandfather a $20k monthly rental fee for the helmet, and they demanded it back when he died. That was before medicare covered it, and they took his life savings for 10 months of humiliation and burning scalp pain. Now medicare pays about $13k monthly:

Coverage and Payment for New, Innovative Tumor Treatment Field Technology (TTFT)

The Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DME MACs) recently revised the Tumor Treatment Field Therapy (TTFT) Local Coverage Determination (LCD L34823) to extend coverage for the use of TTFT as a treatment option for Medicare beneficiaries with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) when certain criteria are met. More information on this important milestone in cancer treatment can be found at the DME MAC websites: 
https://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jddme ;
https://www.cgsmedicare.com/jc/ ;

Access to the specific policy is available under the "Future Effective" pages of the DME MACs: 
Noridian: https://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jadme/policies/lcd/future;jsessionid=17CEBA5C02D109306989C28E710 E87C3 
CGS: https://www.cgsmedicare.com/jc/coverage/lcdinfo.html (then click on Future LCD - Future Effective Date) 

TTFT is a system consisting of an electromagnetic field generator and transducer arrays and will be covered under the Medicare Part B benefit for durable medical equipment (DME) for items and services furnished on or after September 1, 2019. Payment for the TTFT system will be made using monthly rental fee schedule amounts that include payment for the entire system (electromagnetic field generator, transducer arrays, and all related accessories) as well as all services furnished in providing the TTFT system, including frequent and substantial servicing of the device. 

On June 11, 2018, CMS announced a change to the way that fee schedule amounts for DME are established, indicating that prices paid by other payers may be used to establish the Medicare fee schedule amounts for new technology items and services. The innovative aspects of this change in the pricing methodology for DME are intended to ensure that Medicare is expeditious and responsive to providing reimbursement and access to new technology and devices for beneficiaries. 
This innovative pricing methodology was used to establish the Medicare monthly rental fee schedule amounts for the TTFT system. Based on the median of 2018 prices paid by other payers, CMS has established a 2019 monthly fee schedule amount of $13,237.

https://www.cms.gov/Center/Provider-Type/Durable-Medical-Equipment-DME-Center