Public Policy and AdvocacySAS Advocacy in Action Georgia Surgeon Rallies Colleagues in Support of Cervical Disc Arthroplasty US-based SAS Members and their patients often face significant obstacles in obtaining insurance carrier coverage for lumbar and cervical disc arthroplasty. Given that disc arthroplasty products have only been on the US market for less than 7 years, many insurers often cite their proposed use as “experimental or investigational,” which leaves little opportunity for appeal of such decisions. However, many of our members won’t take no for an answer, knowing that disc arthroplasty is a superior technology for many patients who would otherwise settle for a fusion procedure. One such member is Jim Lindley, from Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Lindley, frustrated by the continuous denials from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia (a WellPoint company) is enlisting his Georgia surgical colleagues in an attempt to change the payer’s current policy. Dr. Lindley sent a letter to all Georgia surgeons who participated in an IDE trial for, or have been trained by manufacturers in the use of, any of the three FDA-approved artificial cervical discs, asking that they sign an affidavit as evidence of their support for BC/BS coverage of cervical disc arthroplasty. Dr. Lindley has been in contact with WellPoint, and will provide his affidavits, and other supportive material including SAS’ Position Statement on Cervical Total Disc Arthroplasty, to their medical director prior to a February 25th coverage determination hearing. To date, Dr. Lindley has received 50 signed affidavits - a response rate of over 60 percent, and is hopeful that his efforts will lead to a positive outcome with WellPoint. SAS needs your help – If you are interested in signing on to Dr. Lindley’s affidavit, which will be shared with WellPoint in late February, please contact Dr. Lindley at jlindley9@comcast.net, or simply fax your signed affidavit to 912-356-9634. Click Here (PDF) to view a copy of the letter and the affidavit that Dr. Lindley sent to his Georgia colleagues. Click Here (HTML) to view a copy of the SAS’ Position Statement on Cervical Total Disc Arthroplasty, approved by the SAS Board in October 2009. If you have a similar advocacy story, and would like to share it with your SAS colleagues, please contact David Porter at david@spinearthroplasty.org. We are eager to know what the SAS membership is doing to fight for patient access to these life-changing technologies. | 
