Relievant Medsystems, a company dedicated to transforming the diagnosis and treatment of vertebrogenic pain, a type of chronic low back pain (CLBP), today announced that Palmetto GBA has published a final Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for basivertebral nerve (BVN) ablation that expands access to more than 5 million covered lives.
Palmetto GBA is a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) covering Medicare patients in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The formal LCD went into effect on March 5, 2023.
“This LCD represents a significant step in increasing access to BVN ablation – both for patients suffering from chronic vertebrogenic low back pain as well as the physicians working to treat them effectively,” said Tyler Binney, President and CEO of Relievant Medsystems. “We are pleased that Palmetto GBA recognized the strong clinical evidence supporting the Intracept Procedure and we remain dedicated to educating payers about the life-changing outcomes of this therapy.”
Relievant Medsystems’ minimally invasive Intracept® Procedure is the only FDA-cleared treatment for chronic vertebrogenic low back pain, using targeted radiofrequency energy to stop the BVN from transmitting pain signals to the brain. The procedure is typically performed in an outpatient surgery center and takes approximately one hour. Based on existing data, patients typically experience minimal post-procedure pain and generally quick recovery times. Patients often feel pain relief within two weeks of being treated with the Intracept Procedure.