Prevent Payers from Dictating Pain Care Pathway

Please see our position statement in regard to Peripheral Nerve Stimulation at the WAPMU website: https://www.wapmu.org or view the full statement at: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58aeebc3d1758ef40ffb421a/t/5fec7aa232da5052ae4a6729/1609333410923/PNS+WAPMU_State+2020.pdf

With the ongoing opioid crisis and resulting conservative opioid prescribing, it is critical that patients suffering from pain have unobstructed access to evidence-based pain treatments such as PNS.

This is an effective therapy for patients to decrease their need for opiates. During an epidemic of this proportion, please make the right decision for those who pay your premiums with hard earned dollars

please reconsider the coverage for this much needed treatment for non-opoid pain control. Thank you. Ivy poulin

AGREED.

Medications in your different plans continue to become unavailable to patients. And at the same time you are denying or making it more difficult for patients to receive alternative treatment options. Patients are left thinking they will be left to live in pain.

PNS is an important and least invasive neuromodulation treatment to manage pain and to help us tackle the opioid crisis !!!

Given the desire to avoid opioids, the paucity of effective pain medications, and the potential ability to "rewire" the pain pathway, having a low-risk option such as the PNS device is highly desirable for physicians and patients. Given the societal damage related to the opioid epidemic, effective alternatives are required. Loree K. Kalliainen, MD, MA, FACS

I have personally seen patients that have benefited from this therapy with reduction in oral pain medications, increased physical activity with weight loss, improvement in QOL. It is medically necessary for the treatment of chronic pain and the evidence supports this.

PNS has been a "game changer" for multiple pain issues that have not responded to current therapies. Withholding this from patients would be condemning them to a lifetime of pain and disability that could be treated with PNS. It is safer than opioids, epidural spinal cord stimulation and more invasive surgeries. This decision is shortsighted both financially for the insurance and for patient quality of life perspectives

Insurance companies need to realize the effectiveness of PNS in the treatment of pain and not limit its use.

How can you deny the data and proven outcomes? How can you deny patients of options for quality of life?

I have seen patients in the Prince George's County and Charles County, MD, area benefit from this technology and have improved quality of life. -- Dr Chee-Hahn Hung.

Do not deny American Citizens of quality Medicine

We need this therapy for our patients.

PNS is a very effective treatment modality

I support this petition.

Treating Legitimate chronic pain is difficult as it is; without restriction our tools, etc. Most of us (Board Certified Algologists) are capable of knowing limits for standard care; without someone untrained in the discipline mandating treatment, or no treatment.

Restriction on medical practices will harm patient wellbeing

Well needed treatment denial is poor patient care.