Category Archives: Insurance Appeal

TRICARE APPROVES Hip Resurfacing 2016

Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by

Original PDF TRICARE Manual Here

4.10  Hip resurfacing (CPT2 procedure codes 27125 and 27130, and HCPCS S2118) with an FDA approved device is proven for the treatment of Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the hip in patients who are less than 65 years old and who meet all of the following criteria:
    • Have chronic, persistent pain and/or disability;
    • Are otherwise healthy and active;
    • Have normal proximal femoral bone geometry and bone quality; and
    • Would otherwise receive a conventional Total Hip Replacement (THR), but are likely to outlive a conventional THR implant system’s expected life.

    … Read the rest

    John Williamson Insurance Appeal Letter at Surface Hippy

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by
    John WilliamsonJanuary 17, 2006 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care 1600 Crown Colony Drive Quincy MA 02169-9777Re: Appeal of denied coverage, HP0412161-00Dear HPHC Representative:I am requesting for voluntary member reconsideration. Following is an explanation of my medical condition and history. In a letter dated December 23, 2005, HPHP denied my requested authorization for a total hip resurfacing.My Condition and HistoryI have DX with degenerative arthritis of the left hip, which restricted my normal activities. I could no longer walk fast, getting in and out of my car was more difficult and climbing stairs and performing my job was becoming awkward. I’m a single parent with full physical custody of my three children. Caring for my three children, working full time and
    … Read the rest

    Rod Windle Cover letter for insurance appeal

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by
    November 9, 2007HMO Help Center Department of Managed Health Care 980 9th Street Sacramento, CA 95814-2725This cover letter accompanies my application for an Independent Medical Review (IMR). The core issue in this case is hip resurfacing (HR) versus total hip replacement (THR). In this letter I will discuss some of the main issues relevant to my case. In a second letter I will address some issues regarding the qualifications of IMR reviewers.My appeal of Affinity Medical Group’s decision regarding hip resurfacing surgery was denied by Blue Shield on the following grounds:1) “…your medical group has affiliated orthopedic surgical specialists who can provide your care.” 2) “…there is not specialty agreement that you are a good candidate for a hip resurfacing procedure…”
    … Read the rest

    Alan Ray Appeal Insurance Letter for coverage of his hip resurfacing surgery wtih Dr. De Smet in Belgium 2004

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by

    THE APPEAL LETTER TO CIGNA (NAU IS “national appeals unit”)

    Dear CIGNA NAU:

    I have received your written notice, dated Aug. 27, 2004, denying my initial

    request for pre-authorization for left hip surface arthroplasty. With this

    letter and attachments, the request is being re-submitted for further

    consideration as an appeal of the initial denial.

     

    I am a 55-year-old male diagnosed in March of this year with end-stage

    osteoarthritis of the left hip, with “some component of dysplasia”.  The result

    of the condition is that I am unable to engage in the athletic activities that

    have helped me control hypertension and maintain extremely low blood cholesterol

    levels (as demonstrated in my past two annual

    physicals). Despite a high-stress professional position and extremely demanding

    work schedules, … Read the rest

    Sample Appeal letter to TRICARE

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by

    To Whom it May Concern,

    Re:  Appeal # xxxxx

    I want to bring to your
    attention an inconsistency in the TRICARE policies regarding total hip
    resurfacing and FDA-approved devices.  Over the last 6-months I have been
    evaluated and clinically qualified as meeting all the criteria and
    indications for a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedure and I have obtained
    the clinical recommendations of (1) two Active Duty Military Treatment
    Facility (MTF) Orthopedic Surgeons, (2) a TRICARE Network Orthopedic
    Surgeon, and (3) a nationally recognized Orthopedic Surgeon, all supporting
    this procedure and this FDA-approved device for the treatment of my
    condition.  Unfortunately, the current TRICARE policy does not support this
    procedure as being a “proven” treatment and I need your help to change this
    for me and all … Read the rest

    Michelle Insurance Appeal Information at Surface Hippy

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by

    Dr. De Smet 2006

    Insurance Appeals 101

    For those of you who have not had experience with insurance
    appeals, here’s a couple of tips I learned helping patient families
    with insurance appeals:

    (1)First and foremost, read your policy – the full document
    with all
    of the legalese, not just the coverage pages. Your employer
    should
    have a copy of the policy or coverage book or you can
    usually get it
    directly from the insurance company. My full document is 152
    pages (8
    1/2 x 11″) and was available on the website for my insurance
    plan.

    (2)Read the entire document (hey you’re probably not
    sleeping anyway
    if you need a new hip and this reading is much more
    effective than a
    sleeping pill..), but pay particular … Read the rest

    Roger Linfield and Insurance Coverage for Hip Resurfacing with Dr. De Smet

    Surfacehippy | Hip Resurfacing Alternative to Total Hip Replacement Posted on by
    “I was able to return to my pre-surgery climbing level after six months, and was quite active in the second half of 2005 with climbing and hiking.”
    Friday, January 13, 2006Success with U.S. Insurance (LONG)

    Eleven months after surgery in Belgium, I finally obtained insurance reimbursement for 100% of my medical expenses. Here are details.

    My health insurance is an ERISA plan. This means that my employer is self- insured, but hires a health insurance company (Aetna in this case) to administer the plan. My employer, along with a committee of health professionals, assembled a “Medical Plan” – a specific set of rules on what is and is not covered. Upon reading through the Medical Plan, I couldn’t find anything that specifically precluded coverage for

    … Read the rest