Definitions
Binary Coverage Paradigm:
“Yes or No” final coverage decision without planned reconsideration of prespecified clinical outcomes.
Non-Binary Coverage Paradigm*:
Qualified coverage decision that may evolve as evidence base changes over time, with planned reconsideration based on the achievement of prespecified clinical outcomes.
*CED is an example of a non-binary coverage paradigm.
Question 1
Are there significant, practical differences between binary and non-binary coverage paradigms?
If the answer favors “Yes” please discuss the advantages and disadvantages of non-binary paradigms.
Question 2
Can an evidentiary threshold be defined to invoke CED?
If the answer favors “Yes” please discuss how this threshold should be identified.
If the answer favors “No” please discuss the impediments and recommend strategies to overcome them.
Question 3
How would an evidentiary threshold to invoke CED be influenced by the following?
- whether the item or service is a diagnostic v. a therapeutic technology;
- the severity of the disease;
- the safety profile of the technology;
- the availability of acceptable alternatives for the same disease/condition
- other factor(s)
- a combination or tradeoff involving two or more of the above
Question 4
How would an evidentiary threshold to invoke CED be influenced if the outstanding questions focused only on the generalizability of a strong but narrow evidence base to
-
additional settings;
-
additional practitioners;
-
broader clinical indications for related or unrelated diseases#?
# An example of a related condition might include a different stage of the same cancer. An example of an unrelated condition might include the use of a cancer drug for a rheumatologic disease.
Question 5
Can an evidentiary threshold be defined to trigger an evidentiary review to determine if CED should cease, continue or be modified?
If the answer favors “Yes” please discuss how this threshold should be identified.
If the answer favors “No” please discuss the impediments and recommend strategies to overcome them.
Please discuss whether the factors identified in Questions 3 and 4 are relevant to Question 5.
Download scoresheet [PDF, 27KB]