Tricare has established a written coverage policy for minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion surgery. Tricare is a regionally-managed US healthcare programme for active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and their survivors.
The policy provides coverage for the 9.4 million members of the US military’s health care system, including access to 55 military hospitals and 373 military clinics, and states that “minimally invasive surgery (Common Procedural Terminology procedure code 27279) for the treatment of sacroiliac joint pain is proven.”
According to a press release, this result follows a meeting between SI-Bone—manufacturers of the Ifuse implant—and the healthcare programme.
“Earlier this year, we met with Colonel Stephen C Phillips and his staff at the Defense Health Agency in Washington, DC, and reviewed the extensive published clinical evidence for the iFuse Implant (SI-Bone). Following that meeting, the Tricare policy team determined that coverage for minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion was appropriate and warranted,” says Tony Recupero, chief commercial officer at SI-Bone.
