§ 410.161 Part B blood deductible.

(a) General rules. (1) As used in this section, packed red cells means the red blood cells that remain after plasma is separated from whole blood.

(2) A unit of packed red cells is treated as the equivalent of a pint of whole blood, which in this section is referred to as a unit of whole blood.

(3) Medicare does not pay for the first 3 units of whole blood or units of packed red cells that are furnished under Part A or Part B in a calendar year. The Part B blood deductible is reduced to the extent that a blood deductible has been applied under Part A.