New Findings from Pain Management Center in the Area of Medicare and Medicaid Reported (Retrospective cohort study of usage patterns of epidural…

Insurance Weekly News

New Findings from Pain Management Center in the Area of Medicare and Medicaid Reported (Retrospective cohort study of usage patterns of epidural injections for spinal pain in the US fee-for-service Medicare population from 2000 to 2014)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Current study results on Medicare and Medicaid have been published. According to news reporting originating in Paducah, Kentucky, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, "To assess the usage patterns of epidural injections for chronic spinal pain in the fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare population from 2000 to 2014 in the USA. A retrospective cohort."

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Pain Management Center, "The descriptive analysis of the administrative database from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary (PSPS) master data from 2000 to 2014 was performed. The guidance from Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) was applied. Analysis included multiple variables based on the procedures, specialties and geography. Overall epidural injections increased 99% per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries with an annual increase of 5% from 2000 to 2014. Lumbar interlaminar and caudal epidural injections constituted 36.2% of all epidural injections, with an overall decrease of 2% and an annual decrease of 0.2% per 100 000 Medicare beneficiaries. However, lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections increased 609% with an annual increase of 15% from 2000 to 2014 per 100 000 Medicare population. Usage of epidural injections increased from 2000 to 2014, with a decline thereafter."

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: "However, an escalating growth has been seen for lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections despite numerous reports of complications and regulations to curb the usage of transforaminal epidural injections."

For more information on this research see: Retrospective cohort study of usage patterns of epidural injections for spinal pain in the US fee-for-service Medicare population from 2000 to 2014. Bmj Open, 2016;6(12):e013042. (BMJ Publishing Group - group.bmj.com/; Bmj Open - bmjopen.bmj.com/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting L. Manchikanti, Pain Management Center of Paducah, Paducah, Kentucky, United States. Additional authors for this research include V. Pampati and J.A Hirsch.

Keywords for this news article include: Paducah, Kentucky, Epidemiology, United States, Health Policy, Medicare and Medicaid, North and Central America.