News

ISASS Comments on Payer Coverage Policy on Intraoperative Monitoring ISASS submitted comments to Cigna on a draft coverage policy and literature review regarding intraoperative monitoring (IONM). The letter was a joint letter with other spine surgery societies, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. In the comment letter, the groups advocated for surgeon decision-making control over the use of intraoperative monitoring and asked Cigna to revise their policy which called for only a specific set of conditions to be allowed for coverage of interoperative neuromonitoring. The letter recommended that the decision to approve the use of IONM be designated to the treating surgeon and that if and when the surgeon asks for the use […]

CMS Releases 2022 Inpatient Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule On April 27, 2021, CMS issued a proposed rule (CMS-1752-P) for inpatient and long-term care hospitals that builds on the Biden Administration’s key priorities to close health care equity gaps and provide greater accessibility to care. Major provisions in the proposed rule would fund medical residency positions in hospitals in rural and underserved communities to address workforce shortages and require hospitals to report COVID-19 vaccination rates among their workers to contain the spread of the virus. In accordance with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, CMS is proposing to distribute 1,000 additional physician residency slots to qualifying hospitals, phasing in 200 slots per year over 5 years. CMS estimates that the additional […]

ISASS Provides Comments to CMS on Medicare Prior Authorization Policies ISASS jointed a broad coalition, included the Medical Device Manufacturing Association, in submitting a letter on April 7, 2021, to CMS on growing concerns over the expansion of “prior authorization” requirements in Medicare. This letter echoed concerns conveyed in a bipartisan letter sent to CMS late last year. More than 40 organizations signed the letter representing a large segment of patient and physician organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Federation of American Hospitals, and the American College of Surgeons. The letter from a broad coalition of health care stakeholders highlights the ongoing concern about how the growing use of prior authorization by Medicare and other payers is imposing unnecessary burdens on patients and delaying […]

ISASS Comments on Payer Coverage Policy on New Spine Technology ISASS submitted comments to Health Care Services Corporation (HCSC) on a draft coverage policy for Basivertebral Joint Ablation (BVN). ISASS’ comments reviewed the literature on BVN and included the ISASS policy statement on BVN. ISASS advocated for coverage for BVN under the patient standards outlined in the ISASS policy statement. The letter was submitted on April 11, 2021. The HCSC will review comments and input and issue a final policy in the coming months. The ISASS BVN policy statement can be viewed here: https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/14/1/18