Markos
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 Posted: 05/06/07 - 19:12 Post subject: Medicare says it won't pay for Cyberonics to treat depressio |
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Medicare, the federal government's health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, issued its final decision reject payments for a depression treatment developed by Houston-based Cyberonics.
They said that the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) therapy was "not reasonable and necessary" for the treatment of severe depression.
Public Citizen's Health Research Group, a consumer group, welcomed the Medicare’s decision as they found the device not helpful and close to dead in the water.
The vagus nerve stimulator has long been used to treat epilepsy. FDA approved the device back in 2005 to treat depression, overruling 20 agency advisers who urged rejection.
Cyberonics company said in their statement that they will continue to sell the device to treat epilepsy while adding to "the body of scientific evidence for" its use in patients with depression. |
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