Subject: Aetna Medical Policy 0016 Section IX, E, Lumbar interbody fusions with
expandable cages
Dear Dr. McDonough,
Over the last several months, spine surgeons across the country have received denial notices for the use
of expandable interbody cages in lumbar interbody fusion procedures for patients covered by Aetna, as a
result of the above-mentioned policy that considers expandable interbody devices to be investigational.
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS)
and the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN) strongly disagree
with this characterization and appreciate the opportunity to present our analysis of the current literature
regarding expandable interbody devices.
…
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