Q: What are some of the major issues facing pain management in regards to healthcare reform?
Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti: There are various issues for interventional pain management which are the same as the other areas of medicine. Specifically, these include coverage policies. Interventional pain management is not considered as an essential service, thus coverage is minimal.
Numerous other regulations whether related to healthcare reform or associated with it include mandatory transition to ICD-10, almost mandatory implementation of electronic health records along with a multitude of regulations and infection control practices associated with single-dose vials. These practices create a critical shortage of medicines and exorbitantly high costs. None of these activities improve patient care, rather they reduce it.
Click here to read the full Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine Review interview with Dr. Laxmaiah Manchikanti.
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