STAT October 31, 2025
Administrative contractors don’t want to cover peripheral nerve block procedures for chronic pain
The 1 in 5 Americans suffering from chronic pain may soon lose access to evidence-based interventions that have existed for decades.
Looming changes to Medicare coverage threaten access to local anesthetic blockade, or “peripheral nerve block” procedures. Medicare administrative contractors across the country have recently proposed eliminating coverage for these minimally invasive, non-opioid treatment options for chronic pain disorders. If approved, these coverage changes could drive patients back to opioids, exacerbating the overdose epidemic in the United States, and force patients to unnecessarily pursue invasive and expensive surgical interventions.
Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability in the United States. It is associated with depression, substance...
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