December 2, 2016
Dear Friends:
Just 6 days to show you stand against the sweeping recommendation to eliminate coverage for spinal interventional techniques in Oregon.
We are resending this e-mail for the benefit of those who may not have seen it. If you have already responded, thank you.
The Oregon Health Evidence Review Commission, without fanfare and without even looking at the literature appropriately, is eliminating coverage for what appears to be ALL spinal interventional techniques, now or in the next few months. They have issued draft coverage guidance strongly recommending against coverage for epidural, facet joint, medial branch, and sacroiliac joint injections for low back pain, regardless of etiology.
It is time to mobilize our forces across the nation. As you all know, this is based on the inappropriate evidence synthesis that was performed with intellectual bias by Chou et al from an organization which is facing extinction in its own - the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Please see the letter we have drafted for presentation to the Oregon Health Authority. Please send in your name. title, and address, as well as the name, title, and address of any other providers in your practice who will sign on. We will also be enclosing an extensive citations list apart from this letter.
The comment period ends on December 9, 2016. We encourage you to submit your name, title, city and state, as soon as possible, no later than December 6, to Savannah Gold at [email protected].
Please remember you need to send in your name, title, city, and state - not just your name. It is crucial! You can submit your office address. It doesn't have to be your home address, but an address is required.
Thank you,
Laxmaiah Manchikanti
, MD
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, ASIPP
Medical Director, Pain Management Center of Paducah
Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
University of Louisville
, Kentucky
2831 Lone Oak Road
Paducah
, KY 42003
Phone: 270-554-8373 ext. 101
Aaron K. Calodney, MD
President, ASIPP
Director of Clinical Research
Precision Spine Care
Texas
Spine and Joint Hospital
PO Box
130459
Tyler
TX 75713-0459
Phone: 903-531-2500
