VasQ™ Extravascular Support: A New Chapter in Kidney Care
Laminate Medical Technologies is moving kidney care forward with its VasQ™ extravascular support device. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently approved a Transitional Pass-Through (TPT) payment for VasQ, a practical step that supports patients and the clinicians who treat them. It speeds access to a new option and creates a clear way for healthcare providers to be reimbursed when they use the device.
What the Transitional Pass-Through Payment Means
The TPT payment, assigned under billing code C8000, provides additional Medicare reimbursement to healthcare providers who use VasQ during the creation of an arteriovenous fistula. That may sound technical, but the core idea is simple: when a device demonstrates meaningful innovation, CMS can temporarily support its adoption so patients can benefit sooner. This move signals momentum in the dialysis space and helps bring advanced tools into routine care without delay.
VasQ, like other technologies seeking a place in care pathways, went through rigorous review and earned FDA Breakthrough Devices designation. That designation underscores the need for novel solutions and aligns with the TPT decision—regulatory recognition on one side and payment support on the other. Together, they help turn promise into access.
The Role of Patient Advocacy
A defining part of VasQ’s path to TPT payment has been strong, visible advocacy from patients and from organizations such as the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP). Since 2021, AAKP has partnered with Laminate Medical to elevate the urgency of dialysis care innovations and the real-world needs of people living with kidney disease. Their sustained efforts helped build awareness and support, showing how patient voices can influence policy and accelerate the availability of useful technologies.
This kind of advocacy matters. It keeps attention on outcomes that patients feel every day and encourages decision-makers to keep access front and center. In this case, that attention helped move VasQ from promising idea to reimbursed option.
How VasQ May Help Patients
VasQ is designed with one goal in mind: better outcomes for people who need hemodialysis. The device aims to increase the success rate of arteriovenous fistulas, a critical step in establishing reliable access for treatment. Studies have consistently shown that VasQ can improve results without requiring additional surgical procedures, a meaningful benefit for patients who already face a heavy treatment schedule.
There’s also the matter of central venous catheters (CVCs). By supporting fistula success, VasQ offers hope for safer removal of CVCs and, in turn, a lower risk of hospitalization tied to catheter-related bloodstream infections. Fewer infections, fewer complications, fewer setbacks—that’s the kind of progress patients and clinicians work toward.
Expert Perspectives on VasQ’s Impact
Edward Hickey, III, president of AAKP, has expressed optimism about the direction of patient-centered kidney care. He underscored how important it is to align FDA regulatory actions with CMS payment decisions and to keep communication steady across the healthcare system. When patients, regulators, and clinicians move in the same direction, access improves. VasQ’s recognition—and the backing it has received from both patients and professionals—suggests that alignment is possible and already underway.
Looking Ahead with VasQ
Tammy Gilon, CEO of Laminate Medical Technologies, expressed gratitude for the support from patients, AAKP, the FDA, and CMS. The Medicare billing code assignment is a pivotal milestone in the company’s mission to raise the standard of care for hemodialysis patients. With VasQ, Laminate Medical aims to give patients new options, ease pressures on providers, and help lower the overall costs tied to kidney care.
That combination—better options, smoother workflows, and lower costs—can be hard to achieve. Here, it’s the point. Access, again and again.
Bringing VasQ into Everyday Practice
The TPT payment lays the groundwork for hospitals and clinics to integrate VasQ into their existing vascular access procedures. With a reimbursement pathway in place, practitioners can adopt the technology more readily and offer it to patients who may benefit. The healthcare landscape is shifting, and tools like VasQ are helping that shift move from policy to practice.
As adoption grows, the focus remains steady: make care more reliable, make it safer, and make it accessible. Quiet progress, patient by patient.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is VasQ™ and why does it matter?
VasQ™ is an extravascular support device used during the creation of a dialysis fistula. It’s intended to improve outcomes and reduce complications for people who need hemodialysis.
What does the TPT payment under code C8000 do?
The TPT payment, assigned to billing code C8000, provides additional Medicare reimbursement to providers that use VasQ during fistula creation. It helps clinicians adopt an innovative device while ensuring a clear path to payment.
How did patient advocacy shape this milestone?
Since 2021, AAKP has worked with Laminate Medical to highlight the need for better tools in dialysis care. That advocacy helped build support for CMS’s TPT decision for VasQ.
What benefits might patients see with VasQ?
Studies show VasQ can increase fistula success without requiring extra surgery. It may also support earlier, safer removal of central venous catheters and reduce hospitalization risks tied to catheter-related infections.
How can providers add VasQ to their current practice?
With TPT in place, facilities can incorporate VasQ into existing vascular access procedures. The reimbursement pathway makes adoption more practical for providers and more accessible for patients.
