The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons are calling for an immediate end to clinically unfounded insurance denials implants commonly used in cervical spinal fusions, according to a May 11 news release.
In a multi-society position statement, the AANS/CNS section on disorders of the spine and peripheral nerves urges payers to align coverage with evidence-based practice and preserve physician-patient decisionmaking. Specifically the statement addresses interbody biomechanical devices billed under CPT code 22853 that have been used routinely in cervical fusions.
“Interbody biomechanical devices have been a standard part of cervical fusion procedures for decades, supported by robust clinical evidence,” E. Sander Connolly, Jr., MD, president of the AANS, said in the release. “Policies that continue to deny coverage are out of step with modern medicine. We strongly urge payers to align their policies with clinical reality and the broad consensus that decisions about spinal implants should be made by physicians and their patients — not restricted by outdated coverage policies.”
The full list of groups endorsing the statement are:
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Cervical Spine Research Society
International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery
North American Spine Society
Scoliosis Research Society
Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
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