CVRx Announces AMA CPT Category I Codes for Barostim

October 18, 2024—CVRx, Inc. announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT Editorial Panel has accepted new Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Category I codes for Baroreflex Activation Therapy with CVRx’s Barostim system to treat the symptoms of heart failure.

The company stated that this decision will help further facilitate reimbursement for health care providers performing the Barostim procedure and enable broader patient access.

These codes are expected to be implemented on January 1, 2026. In the interim, United States hospitals and physicians performing Barostim procedures should continue to use the existing Category III codes, advised the company.

According to CVRx, the AMA CPT Editorial Panel accepted the application for Category I CPT codes in response to the increased use of Barostim therapy and the strong evidence supporting its clinical outcomes. The company noted that the effort was led by the Society for Vascular Surgery and supported by the American College of Cardiology and others.

CVRx’s Barostim system, which is approved by the FDA, uses neuromodulation to improve the symptoms of heart failure. The therapy is designed to restore balance to the autonomic nervous system and thereby reduce the symptoms of heart failure. The implantable device delivers electrical pulses to baroreceptors located in the wall of the carotid artery. The baroreceptors activate the body’s baroreflex, which in turn triggers an autonomic response to the heart.

The device has also received CE Mark approval for heart failure and resistant hypertension in the European Economic Area, noted CVRx.