Comparative Effectiveness, 2011

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

January 2011

When the Texas Medicaid program reviewed its coverage policy for rental-only negative pressure wound therapy devices, it used AHRQ's Technology Assessment, "Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Devices," to support continued coverage.

Jose Gonzalez, MD, JD, serves as Medical Director, Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program Division for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. He is also a member of the Medicaid Medical Directors' Learning Network, an AHRQ-sponsored Knowledge Transfer project. He notes that reviewing the outcomes from the AHRQ literature review on negative pressure wound therapy devices helped reaffirm the State's current coverage policy.

The Technology Assessment sought evidence to determine whether any single negative pressure wound therapy system had any therapeutic distinction over another system or device in treating acute or chronic wounds. The authors concluded that there have been no studies to make direct comparisons of one system to another.

Without strong evidence that one device is more effective than any other, Texas Medicaid program staff concluded that continued coverage of generic rental units remains clinically appropriate. As a result of using the AHRQ Technology Assessment, Texas officials confirmed that the State would continue to cover rental-only negative pressure wound therapy devices, as it has done since 2003.

Gonzalez notes, "As coverage is often supported by potentially biased literature, policymakers are grateful for AHRQ as a leading source of unbiased evidence."

Knowledge Transfer Case Study Identifier: KT-COE-56
AHRQ-Sponsored Activity: Medicaid Medical Directors' Learning Network, Effective Health Care
Topic(s): Policy
Scope: Texas

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