Reports from Allegheny Health Network Provide New Insights into Dystonia (Cross-sectional Analysis of Us Health Insurance Payer Policies for Humanitarian Device Exemption Indications for Deep Brain Stimulation): Nervous System Diseases and Conditions – Dystonia

2022 JUN 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Nervous System Diseases and Conditions - Dystonia. According to news reporting originating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted deep brain stimulation (DBS) approval under the humanitarian device exemption (HDE) pathway for both dystonia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, recent reports from the community of functional neurosurgeons suggest that insurance authorization remains a disproportionate barrier to OCD DBS implantation despite both conditions having similar support from the FDA.”

Financial support for this research came from Council of State Neurosurgical Societies Socioeconomic Fellowship.

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from Allegheny Health Network, “This cross-sectional study of health insurance policies quantifies the current payer landscape for these two interventions. The aim of this study was to quantify the current payer policy coverage of DBS under HDE status for OCD as compared to DBS for dystonia for eligible patients in the US insurance market. A commercial health insurance policy database was queried for documentation on DBS for dystonia and OCD. Results were individually analyzed for payer policy coverage statements on DBS for either dystonia or OCD and categorized as unique or nonunique policies. Unique policy positions were then coded for the geographic region, whether coverage was offered, and guidelines cited as evidence and justification. From the 80 policies in the database, there were 34 unique policies addressing DBS for either dystonia or OCD representing coverage of all 50 states. Of the 34 unique policies, 3 (9%) covered DBS for OCD, while 32 (94%) covered dystonia. Only 2 policies covered neither intervention. In spite of similar levels of support from the FDA, DBS for OCD has less support from insurance companies on a national level.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “This study begins to quantify the disparity noted by functional neurosurgeons in recent literature.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Cross-sectional Analysis of Us Health Insurance Payer Policies for Humanitarian Device Exemption Indications for Deep Brain Stimulation. Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, 2022. Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery can be contacted at: Karger, Allschwilerstrasse 10, Ch-4009 Basel, Switzerland. (Karger - http://www.karger.com/; Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery - http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Aktion=JournalHome&ProduktNr=224132)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Dorian M. Kusyk, Allegheny Health Network, Dept. of Neurosurgery, Pittsburgh, PA, United States. Additional authors for this research include Alexander C. Whiting, Gabriel Costa, Clemens M. Schirmer and Joshua M. Rosenow.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1159/000524567. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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