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SYNVISC

Medicare

Once coverage eligibility has been confirmed, Medicare provides reimbursement for SYNVISC® and its administration in both the physician's office and hospital outpatient settings.



Physician's Office
When SYNVISC is provided in the office setting, Medicare reimburses for it in a number of ways:

  • SYNVISC: Medicare reimburses 80% of the allowable amount (Average Selling Price (ASP) + 6%), and the patient or patient's secondary insurer is responsible for the remaining 20%.

    If your office has chosen to participate in the Medicare Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP),
    you will obtain SYNVISC through the CAP vendor, BioScrip, and you will not bill Medicare for
    SYNVISC; BioScrip bills them directly. However, you must continue to bill for the administration
    of SYNVISC.

  • SYNVISC administration: Payment for physicians' professional services is based on the annual Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, which includes payment rates for the SYNVISC administration code CPT 20610 (arthrocentesis, aspiration, or injection). In addition, when bilateral SYNVISC procedures are performed, physicians receive 150% of the payment amount for CPT 20610. For all professional services, Medicare reimburses 80% of the allowable amount, and the patient or the patient’s secondary insurer is responsible for the remaining 20%.

For billing instructions in the office setting:
Download the Sample CMS-1500 Claim Form (PDF, 225K).

Download more Forms & Sample Letters including a Blank CMS-1500 Claim Form (PDF, 43K).

Questions about Medicare reimbursement?
Call SYNVISC ConnectionSM at 1-800-982-8292, M-F, 9 am -6 pm (EST).

Providers retain responsibility for determining reimbursement and insurance issues related to their patients. Genzyme cannot be responsible for failure of a provider to obtain reimbursement.




Important Safety Information

SYNVISC® (hylan G-F 20) is indicated for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen. In clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse events were transient local pain, swelling, and/or effusion in the injected knee. In some cases, these symptoms have been extensive. Other side effects such as rash have been reported rarely.

SYNVISC is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronan products or patients with infections in or around the knee. Use caution when using SYNVISC in patients allergic to avian proteins, feathers, or egg products; who have evidence of venous or lymphatic stasis in the leg to be treated; or who have severe inflammation in the knee joint to be treated. Patients should be advised to avoid strenuous or prolonged weight-bearing activities after treatment. Strict adherence to aseptic technique must be followed to avoid joint infection. The safety and effectiveness of SYNVISC in children and in pregnant or lactating women have not been established. It is unknown whether SYNVISC is excreted in human milk.

View the Complete Prescribing Information for SYNVISC (PDF, 146k)