The Pain Medicine Coalition met Jan. 15 with Medicare Administrative Contractors to oppose a proposed policy that would deny coverage of peripheral nerve blocks, according to a Jan. 16 press release from the American Society of Anesthesiologists shared with Becker’s.
The coalition — comprising the ASA, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation — represents more than 75,000 pain physicians.
Members said the policy could harm patients who rely on nerve blocks to manage chronic conditions such as headaches, knee pain and complex regional pain syndrome. The procedures are also used diagnostically to determine sources of pain.
In another ASA release published Nov. 12, the association strongly denounced the policy, citing decades of clinical, scientific and real-world evidence in support of nerve blocks and ablation techniques.
In the release, ASA President Patrick Giam, MD, said the procedures offer rapid, durable pain relief while reducing reliance on systemic medications, including opioids.
ASA said the denial of coverage may push patients toward less effective treatments and potentially increase opioid exposure. The organization noted that nearly 4 million Americans initiate long-term opioid use annually after routine surgery.
