I found this on the DePuy site and thought others might be interested in reading it. States that Kaiser has approved Charite too! Hooray. Now lets get Great West and a few others to do it!
Kim
April 6, 2005
DEPUY SPINE ANNOUNCES CHARITə ARTIFICIAL DISC DETERMINED MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE BY HORIZON BCBS OF NEW JERSEY
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RAYNHAM, MA - April 6th 2005 � DePuy Spine, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, announced today that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (BCBSNJ), the state�s largest health insurer, has determined that the CHARITə Artificial Disc is medically appropriate for patients who meet certain criteria based on the FDA-approved indications.
Horizon BCBSNJ is a not-for-profit health insurer that provides health insurance coverage to more than 3.1 million people throughout all of North, Central and South Jersey. The medical policy on "Total Disc Replacement with Artificial Intervertebral Disc" was formally approved on March 21.
Horizon BCBSNJ joins a growing list of insurers including Aetna and Kaiser Permanente that have reached positive coverage decisions about the CHARIT� Artificial Disc.
"In the last few months coverage has significantly expanded and we expect more and more insurers to follow suit," said John Argiro, Director of Reimbursement, DePuy Spine.
Horizon BCBSNJ�s policy covers the use of the CHARIT� Artificial Disc as the only FDA approved device in the category. Horizon BCBSNJ ranked first among all Blue Cross Blue Shield plans nationwide in member experience, a composite measure of overall customer satisfaction, likelihood to recommend the plan and likelihood to renew with the plan.
The CHARIT� Artificial Disc is made of two metallic endplates and a movable high-density plastic center. It replaces a worn out damaged spinal disc. Spinal discs maintain the position of the spine and allow for the flexibility to bend.
In clinical trials comparing artificial disc replacement to spinal fusion surgery, CHARIT� Artificial Disc patients experienced pain relief, maintained their range of motion in flexion/extension, had a shorter hospital stay and were more satisfied with the procedure. There were no significant differences in complications.
Artificial disc replacement is not for everyone. As with any major surgery, there are possible complications that can occur including unresolved pain, nerve damage, device displacement, and/or infection. Patients should ask their doctors to see if artificial disc replacement is appropriate for them.
Additional information about the CHARIT� Artificial Disc is available at
www.charitedisc.com or by calling 1-866-DISC523.
About 65 million Americans suffer from low back pain every year, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Americans spend about $50 billion each year on low back pain, the most common cause of job-related disability and lost work days. More than 12 million people are reported to have degenerative disc disease and more than 200,000 have lumbar spinal fusion surgery each year.