VIDEO: Dr. David Kloth discusses back pain conditions and treatment options during a Health and Home Report interview.
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Physician Panel Sees Bias Toward More Invasive Fusion Surgery over Less Invasive and Less Expensive Options for Chronic Lower Back Pain
PADUCAH, Ky., February 23, 2006 ―Insurance companies favor fusion surgery over back pain management therapies, according to a recent panel of orthopedic surgeons, interventional radiologists, physiatrists, and pain management specialists from leading academic centers nationwide. Yet fusion surgery is often more than ten times costlier than other methods of managing chronic discogenic lower back pain 1. The panel discussed and examined pain management strategies from medical specialties that routinely work with patients suffering from chronic lower back pain.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Increases IDET* Procedure Reimbursement Level Over 130 Percent
ANDOVER, Mass., DECEMBER 20, 2005– The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is increasing reimbursement for the Intradiscal ELECTROTHERMAL*(IDET*) Annuloplasty procedure and placing it in a more appropriate Ambulatory Payment Classification (APC). The IDET procedure is a minimally-invasive outpatient procedure that treats spinal discs, and is for patients suffering from chronic discogenic lower back pain.