ASRA Pain Medicine Update

ASRA, along with the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) has urged the Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) to change a proposed policy that would deny patients coverage for peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) and peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS).

The letter outlines evidence supporting the use of PNS for patients suffering from moderate-to-severe subacute and chronic pain who have failed conservative treatment and argues that PNS has the potential to reduce opioid use and improve function, disability, and quality-of-life scores, as well as reduce the need for more invasive surgery that may not effectively address issues such as phantom-limb pain, neuropathic pain, and axial low-back pain.

Read the full letter.