Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Effective April 1, 2001, Medicare covers intestinal transplants for beneficiaries with irreversible intestinal failure. These procedures will be available at three transplant centers, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Jackson Memorial Hospital Transplant Center in Miami, and Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.

Patients with total intestinal failure survive by getting their nutrients intravenously, through a procedure called total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Frequently, patients are not able to tolerate this treatment. However, a transplant may restore intestinal function. The procedure can be performed on the small bowel alone or in combination with various parts of the digestive track, such as the liver, stomach, pancreas or colon.

Prior to this decision by HCFA, few insurers routinely covered this procedure.