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Coverage Policies


In this section you will find current versions of Medica coverage policies. A coverage policy communicates decisions about coverage and benefits for various medical services. Each coverage policy contains a description of the medical service, as well as the coverage determination, product application, coding considerations and requirements for prior authorization. Documents are updated as necessary.

For medical services that require prior authorization, please see the utilization management (UM) policies page under Provider Resources/Medical Policies.

To open and print Portable Document Format (.pdf) files you will need the computer application Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, you can download it here.

Important information – please read the Medical Policy Usage Notice before using these policies:
Medical Policy Usage Notice

  Inactivated Policies
  Acellular Allografts for Surgical Applications
  Actigraphy
  Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
  Amino Acid-Based Elemental Oral Formulas
  Antigen Leukocyte Cellular Antibody Test (ALCAT Test) for Food & Chemical Allergies
Artificial Intervertebral Disc Replacement
Auditory Integration Training (AIT)
Autologous Blood-Derived Products for Chronic Non-Healing Wounds
Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation (ACT) for the Knee
  Automated, Non-Invasive Nerve Conduction Testing: NC-Stat®
  Bevacizumab (Avastin®)
Biventricular Pacing (Cardiac Resyncronization Therapy) for Heart Failure
  Bladder Cancer Screening, Diagnosis and Monitoring Using Ancillary Urinary Tests
  Blood Coagulation Home Testing Devices
  Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA)
Botulinum Toxin (BTX) Treatment for Non-Cosmetic Indications
Breast Ductal Lavage
  Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  Breast Pumps
Cervicography
Chelation Therapy
  Chemiluminescent Testing (ViziLite®) for Oral Cancer Screening
Chemoembolization for Hepatic Tumors
  Cleft Lip and Palate - Tooth Extractions and Dental Implants
  Computerized Dynamic Posturography
Continuous Glucose Monitoring
  Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES)
  Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) Genotyping
Cytotoxic Testing for Allergy Diagnosis
  Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp®) and Epoetin alfa (Epogen®, Procrit®)
Deep Brain Stimulation
Dietitian Consultations
  Dynamic Stabilization Devices for Chronic Back Pain
  Electrical or Electromagnetic Stimulation for Healing of Chronic Wounds
  Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy Systems
  Electrothermal Therapy for Treatment of Joint Instability or Laxity of Ligaments
  Endoscopic Balloon Sinuplasty for Treatment of Chronic Sinusitis
Endoscopic Procedures for Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Epidural Lysis of Adhesions
Essure® Micro-Insert System
  E-visits
  Exhaled Breath Tests for Asthma and Other Inflammatory Pulmonary Conditions: Exhaled Nitric Oxide Breath Test and Exhaled Breath Condensate pH Measurement

   

External Counterpulsation (ECP)
Extracorporeal Magnetic Stimulation (EMS) for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence
  Extracorporeal Photopheresis (Photochemotherapy)
Extracorporeal Shock Wave Treatment for Musculoskeletal Indications
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Fast ForWordTM Speech Therapy Software
  Fecal/Stool DNA (sDNA) Testing for Colorectal Cancer Screening and Monitoring
Fetal Fibronectin Testing
  Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Gastric Electrical Stimulation
  Gastrointestinal Monitoring System (SmartPill)
  Gene Expression Profiling for Prediction of Breast Cancer Recurrence
  Genetic Assay for Warfarin Response
  Genetic Testing
  Genetic Testing for Prostate Cancer
  Gynecomastia Surgery
  Hair Analysis in the Clinical Setting
  Health Research Institute/Pfeiffer Treatment Center Protocols
Helical Computed Tomography (CT) for Lung Cancer Screening
  Herpes Zoster Vaccine (Zostavax®)
  High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) Therapy for Uterine Fibroids
  Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty
Home Sleep Studies for Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea / Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS)
Home Use of Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (Bilevel PAP)
Home Use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
Human Cell Derived Skin Substitutes for Chronic Wound Healing
  Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine
  Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Therapy (HBOT)
  Immune Globulin Therapy (Intravenous and Subcutaneous)
  Implanted Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Intractable Pain
  Infliximab (Remicade®)
  Injury to a Pierced Body Part - Indications for Repair
  Insulin Potentiation Therapy
Interferential Current Stimulation
  Intra-articular Hyaluronan Therapy (Viscosupplementation)
  Intracellular Nutrient Analysis: MicroNutrient Testing; Intracellular Mineral Electrolyte Analysis
  Intracoronary Autologous Cell Transplantation for Cardiac Disease
Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET)
  Intravitreal Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Inhibitor Antibody Treatment for Neovascular Ocular Indications
  In Vitro Chemosensitivity and Chemoresistance Assays
Iontophoresis for Hyperhidrosis
  Keratoprosthesis for Corneal Opacity
  KRAS Mutation Analysis for Predicting Response to Drug Therapy
  Laboratory Tests
  Laser Surgery for Corneal Pathology
  Laser Therapy for Smoking Cessation
Laser Treatments for Neovascularization Associated with Macular Degeneration
  Leuprolide Acetate - Depot and Implant (Lupron Depot®, Lupron Depot-Ped®, Eligard®, Viadur®)
  Light Treatment for Dermatologic Conditions
  Lipoprotein-associated Phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) Immunoassay for Prediction of Risk for Coronary Heart Disease or Ischemic Stroke (PLAC® Test)
Lovaas Therapy/Intensive Early Intervention Behavior Therapy Services (IEIBTS)/Intensive Behavior Intervention (IBI)
LTX3000TM (Spinal Unloading Device for Treatment of Low Back Pain)
  Magnetic Resonance (MR) Coronary Angiography
  Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS)
  Magnetoencephalography and Magnetic Source Imaging
Mechanized Spinal Decompression Traction Tables for Low Back Pain
MeniettTM Portable Pulse Generator for Treatment of Meniere's Disease
  Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery Using Axial Lumbar Interbody Fusion (AxiaLIF) or eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF)
  Multichannel Intraluminal Esophageal Impedance and pH Monitoring
Nebulized Intranasal Antibiotics/Antifungals
  Neutralizing Antibody Tests in the Management of Multiple Sclerosis
  Noncontact, Low-frequency Ultrasound Therapy for Healing of Chronic Wounds (MIST Therapy System™)
Noncontact Normothermic Wound Therapy
  Non-Invasive Measurement of Left Ventricular End Diastolic Pressure
  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance-determined Lipoprotein Subclass Test (LipoProfile®)
  OncoSorb® Therapy (UltraPheresis) for Non-Hematologic Cancer
  Orthognathic Surgery
OrthotracTM Pneumatic Vest (Spinal Unloading Device for Low Back Pain)
  Otoplasty
Palatal Implants for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Pelvic Vein Embolization
Percutaneous Disc Decompression Procedures (Manual, Automated or Laser Discectomy; and Nucleoplasty®)
  Percutaneous Neuromodulation Therapy (PNT) for the Treatment of Pain
Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan for Oncology, Neurology, and Cardiology Applications
Prolotherapy
  Quantitative Sensory Tests
Radiofrequency Bladder Neck Suspension for Treatment of Stress Incontinence in Women (SURx®)
Radiofrequency Volumetric Tissue Reduction (RFVTR) for Breathing Disorders
  Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Prophylaxis
  Rituxamab (Rituxan®)
Sacral Nerve Stimulation
Salivary Estriol Test for Preterm Labor
  Salivary Hormone Tests
  Scanning Laser Technologies for Retina and Optic Nerve Imaging
  Scar Revision
Sensory Integration Therapy
Serial Dilution Endpoint Titration for Diagnosis and Treatment of Airborne Allergy
  Serological Testing for Diagnosis and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (pANCA/ASCA)
Speech Therapy
  Subdermal Contraceptive Implant (Implanon™)
Sublingual, Oral or Intranasal Allergenic Extracts for Allergy Diagnosis and/or Immunotherapy
Surgical and Minimally Invasive Treatments for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy/Hyperplasia (BPH)
  Surgical Interruption of Pelvic Nerve Pathways for Treatment of Pelvic Pain (e.g. Presacral Neurectomy and Uterosacral Nerve Ablation)
  Telehealth Services
Therapeutic Apheresis (TA) - Plasmapheresis, Plasma Exchange
  Thermography
  Thoracic Electrical Bioimpedance (TEB) for Cardiac Output Measurement
Tidal Knee Lavage for Osteoarthritis
  Topographic Genotyping (PathFinderTG®) for Diagnosis of Cancer
Transcatheter Closure of Septal Defect or Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy
  Transilluminated Powered Phlebectomy (TIPP) for Varicose Veins of the Legs
Transmyocardial Revascularization
  Transobturator Tape (TOT) Sling Treatment for Female Stress Urinary Incontinence
  Trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
  Trigger Point Dry Needling
  Upright Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) (Standing/Seated/Weight Bearing/Vertical/Positional MRI)
Urethral Bulking Agents for Urinary Incontinence
Uvulopalatoplasty for Sleep Disorders (Including Radiofrequency Uvulopalatoplasty [UP2 or UPP] and Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty [LAUP])
Vacuum-Assisted Closure for Wound Healing
Vagus Nerve Stimulation
VasClip®
Virtual Colonoscopy (Computed Tomographic Colonography or Magnetic Resonance Colonography) 
Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy for Phobias
Vision Therapy
Wireless Capsule Endoscopy (CE) and Capsule Technology to Verify Patency Prior to Capsule Endoscopy    
  Wireless Esophageal pH Monitoring (Bravo™ System)
  X Stop® Interspinous Process Decompression (IPD) System