Medicare proposes expanding coverage for aortic valve replacement procedure

The US government's health insurance agency announced plans to expand coverage for a heart valve procedure on June 2026. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed removing strict research requirements for patients with severe aortic stenosis who have symptoms. The agency also wants to cover patients without symptoms, though these patients would still need to participate in research studies. The proposal changes rules about how doctors prepare patients before surgery and sets new standards for hospital experience. Doctors will still need to work together as a team to evaluate patients, but the rules are now more flexible. The public can comment on these changes until July 15, 2026. This decision follows fourteen years of data showing the procedure works well for patients.