Palmetto Issues Final LCD for DermTech Pigmented Lesion Assay
February 10, 2020Dermatology genomics testing company DermTech said on Thursday that Medicare Administrative Contractor Palmetto GBA MolDx has issued a final local coverage determination for the company’s Pigmented Lesion Assay (PLA).
The LCD will take effect on Feb. 10, 2020, Palmetto said. The MAC issued a draft LCD for PLA in March 2019, proposing to cover the non-invasive RNA gene expression test to rule out primary cutaneous melanoma and to help decide if patients with skin lesions that display one or more clinical characteristics suggestive of cancer should be biopsied. The test, which obtains skin samples non-invasively through an adhesive skin patch, had to be ordered by a doctor or a healthcare professional with expertise in melanoma.
The final LCD calls for limited coverage of the PLA conducted on skin samples obtained non-invasively via adhesive patches. The PLA is indicated only for use on pigmented skin lesions, for which a diagnosis of melanoma is being considered, Palmetto notes, and the test may only be ordered by clinicians who evaluate pigmented skin lesions and perform biopsies. The test is covered in the LCD as a source of information on whether or not to perform a biopsy.
Source: https://www.genomeweb.com/business-news/palmetto-issues-final-lcd-dermtech-pigmented-lesion-assay