Incisionless neurosurgery company Insightec said it has won Medicare coverage for its Neuravive MR-guided focused ultrasound device in 13 more states, effective April 1, 2019.
Health insurance administrator Noridian extended coverage to Medicare recipients in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Insightec’s Neuravive technology is designed to treat essential tremor that has not responded to medication. The approval extends coverage for the procedure to a total of 38 U.S states.
“Continued momentum for insurance coverage is vital to ensure that the estimated 10 million Americans living with essential tremor have access to focused ultrasound,” said Insightec chairman and CEO Maurice Ferré M.D., in a prepared statement. “Incisionless brain surgery provides another option in the physician’s armamentarium for patient care.”
In October 2018, Insightec won Medicare benefit coverage from CGS Medicare and Palmetto GBA for procedures using Neuravive for the treatment of essential tremor. The technology is currently a Medicare-covered benefit in Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
FDA approved an expansion for Insightec’s Exablate Neuro device to include the treatment of patients with tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease in December 2018. Exablate Neuro was previously only approved for medication-refractory essential tremor.
Insightec is headquartered in Haifa, Israel, and Miami, Fla.
