Advocacy group wants TAVR changes, urging Trump admin to ‘stop getting in between patients and their doctors’

May 22, 2026 - 05:00

A leading advocacy group is pressing the Trump administration to finalize policy changes that would expand access to a common heart valve procedure, arguing that current restrictions are blocking patients from necessary care. The Alliance for Aging Research is calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to approve new criteria that would make thousands more seniors eligible for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR.

The procedure, a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery, is used to treat aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the heart's main valve that can lead to heart failure if left untreated. Under existing rules, Medicare coverage for TAVR is often tied to strict patient criteria and hospital volume requirements. The proposed changes would loosen those thresholds, allowing more patients with moderate or asymptomatic disease to qualify.

The Alliance argues that the current system forces doctors to delay treatment until patients get sicker, which contradicts the goal of early intervention. In a statement, the group urged the administration to "stop getting in between patients and their doctors," emphasizing that clinical decisions should be made by physicians, not bureaucrats.

CMS is currently reviewing the proposal and is expected to issue a final decision by June. The outcome could reshape the landscape of heart valve care in the United States, potentially adding tens of thousands of new candidates for the procedure each year. Critics, however, warn that expanding eligibility too quickly could strain hospital resources and lead to unnecessary procedures in patients who might not benefit.