Check Medicare prior authorization status and documentation for WISeR pilot services.

Disclaimer: This WISeR Navigator is a proof-of-concept tool. Verify all prior authorization requirements and documentation against the latest CMS guidance and MAC publications before relying on the results.

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About the WISeR Model

The Wasteful and Inappropriate Services Reduction (WISeR) model is a six-year CMS pilot launching January 1, 2026. It tests technology-enabled prior authorization to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare fee-for-service while maintaining beneficiary access to clinically appropriate care.

Pilot States

  • Arizona
  • New Jersey
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Washington

Pilot Timeline

WISeR runs for two consecutive agreement periods (three years each), spanning January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2031, with CMS evaluating performance before any broader expansion.

Services in Scope

The pilot targets procedures with documented risks of overuse or clinical appropriateness concerns. WISeR focuses on prior authorization and pre-payment review for:

  • Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (TENS)
  • Sacral, Phrenic, Vagus, and Hypoglossal nerve stimulation
  • Deep brain stimulation and induced lesions of nerve tracts
  • Epidural steroid injections and Percutaneous Image-Guided Lumbar Decompression (PILD)
  • Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation (PVA) for compression fractures
  • Cervical fusion and Arthroscopic lavage/debridement of the knee
  • Skin and tissue substitute applications for chronic lower extremity wounds
  • Incontinence control devices and Medicare-covered impotence treatments