ISASS Comments on Payer Coverage Policy on Intraoperative Monitoring

ISASS submitted comments to Cigna on a draft coverage policy and literature review regarding intraoperative monitoring (IONM). The letter was a joint letter with other spine surgery societies, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

In the comment letter, the groups advocated for surgeon decision-making control over the use of intraoperative monitoring and asked Cigna to revise their policy which called for only a specific set of conditions to be allowed for coverage of interoperative neuromonitoring. The letter recommended that the decision to approve the use of IONM be designated to the treating surgeon and that if and when the surgeon asks for the use of IONM that it be covered.

The joint letter was submitted on April 21, 2021. Cigna will review comments and issue a final policy in the coming months.

The joint letter can be viewed here: Click here