Overuse of Vascular Procedures Exposes Patients to Unnecessary Risks

Despite warnings from researchers and millions in Medicare payments, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have done little to curb the overuse of atherectomies, potentially leading to complications such as amputation and death.

• ProPublica's investigation into the overuse of vascular procedures, specifically atherectomies, reveals that some doctors may be subjecting patients to invasive procedures too early in their disease progression, potentially leading to complications such as amputation and death.
• From 2017 through 2021, about 200 doctors accounted for more than half of atherectomy procedures and Medicare payments, totaling nearly $1.5 billion.
• ProPublica's analysis of Medicare data for patients who had first-time atherectomies between 2019 and 2022 found that nearly 1 in 4 patients underwent the invasive procedure after only a diagnosis for claudication, indicating an early stage of vascular disease.
• Despite warnings from researchers about potential overuse of atherectomies, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have done little to stop the practice, continuing to pay doctors who exhibit this behavior millions of dollars a year.
• Efforts to establish stricter guidelines for the use of atherectomies have faced pushback from some doctors, leading to softer language in the guidelines and potentially allowing for continued overuse of the procedure.

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