INFUSE Bone Graft for TLIF is Eligible for Medicare New Technology Add-on Payment

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted a New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) for Medtronic’s INFUSE Bone Graft for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), effective Oct. 1.

NTAP is a Medicare fee-for-service inpatient reimbursement mechanism to help support hospitals’ adoption of qualifying new technologies before standard payment rates are updated. By providing additional reimbursement for certain cases when the cost of a new technology exceeds the standard payment amount, NTAP can help reduce hospital financial barriers to early adoption and support patient access.

“This NTAP reflects the clinical value of INFUSE Bone Graft for TLIF and reinforces the importance of reimbursement support in helping hospitals adopt innovative technologies,” said Dave Breiter, vice president of Clinical, Medical, Regulatory Affairs, and Health Economics for Medtronic’s Cranial & Spinal Technologies business. “For surgeons, hospitals, and patients, this milestone helps strengthen access to a proven biologic option for spine procedures while supporting the realities of inpatient care delivery.”

INFUSE bone graft is the first and only growth factor technology approved for use in spine fusion procedures. Earlier this year, INFUSE bone graft received U.S. Food and Drug Administration premarket approval for TLIF following Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD) and a prioritized review timeline, underscoring the strength of the clinical evidence supporting its use. NTAP builds on that momentum by helping support hospital access to this important innovation, according to Medtronic.

The NTAP program is particularly relevant for hospital administrators and revenue cycle leaders, who evaluate not only clinical value but also the reimbursement environment that can influence investments in new technologies.

NTAP, or New Technology Add-on Payment, is a Medicare fee-for-service reimbursement mechanism for qualifying technologies used in the inpatient hospital setting. It is intended to help bridge the gap between a new technology’s introduction and the time when hospital payment rates are recalibrated to reflect its cost.

Medtronic’s Cranial and Spinal Technologies is attempting to transform the standard of care in spine and cranial surgery through its portfolio of 150 products that cover more than 20 pathologies serve over 4 million patients annually. Its AiBLE ecosystem integrates advanced technologies, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) with a patient-centric approach, offering customizable solutions to enhance surgical precision, improve workflow efficiency, and achieve better outcomes before, during, and after surgery.

Medtronic plc, headquartered in Galway, Ireland, is the world’s largest healthcare technology company. The multinational behemoth more than 95,000 employees across more than 150 countries; its technologies and therapies treat 70 health conditions and include cardiac devices, surgical robotics, insulin pumps, surgical tools, patient monitoring systems, and more. Medtronic’s technologies transform the lives of two people every second, every hour, every day.