[Nestletea]

Many have asked why patients travel out of country for lumbar disc arthroplasty. The answer is pretty easy: Insurance still considers the procedure experimental/investigational.

Well I was all scheduled for surgery with Dr. Garcia - Lumbar ActivL on February 15th and Florida Blue denied at the last minute. I then quickly filed an expedited internal review which Florida Blue denied. Then On February 13th, I filed an expedited external review.
My frustration has continued, as the expedited external appeal that was filed through Florida Blue was denied. This has exhausted all of my insurance options in the United States. Therefore, I will be headed to Barcelona on March 13th to have a lumbar ADR with Dr. Clavel. I have thoroughly researched the neurosurgeons in Germany and Spain and based on patient outcome and insurance provided by Dr. Clavel's office for the surgery, the decision was easy. Also, I have researched the activL and M6L and discussed both discs with several US and European surgeons. In the end, I will go with the M6L. This disc has an 80 year lifespan vs. the activL that has a 30 year lifespan. I feel at peace with the decision and look forward to feeling better in the near future!