Medicare coverage for lower back pain management is available when necessary. Yet, some costs you may pay for entirely.
By the time most people reach eligibility, they’ve had some lumbar pain. Those feeling lower back pain need to know about treatments and pain management therapies. The cause of the back pain determines a patient’s eligibility for treatments and therapies.
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Medicare Coverage for Lower Back Pain Treatment Options
There are many treatment options, including:
- Physical Therapy
- Chiropractic Treatments
- Medications
- Injection Based Treatments
- Surgical Intervention
While some individuals may require surgery, others consider it a last resort. There’s no guarantee that surgery will provide pain relief. Unless an orthopedic or neurosurgeon can guarantee over 50% improvement, you want to avoid surgery at all costs.
Also, any surgery with the lumbar spine includes the risk of complications. You want to consider surgery as a very last resort. Meaning you have tried all traditional treatments, including interventional pain management, and they’ve failed.
Medicare will cover lower back surgery when it’s medically necessary. We’ll go over coverage for the treatments you should seek before you resort to surgery to help your lower back pain.
Medicare Coverage Guidelines for Lower Back Pain Management Injections
Per the standard Medicare guidelines, cortisone injections usually receive coverage without prior authorization. Also, different doses have different costs. Make sure to ask your doctor about the allowable amount for each procedure.
Coverage through Medicare Supplement plans is crucial for those with lower back pain management needs. When undergoing pain management treatments, supplemental insurance protects you financially.
There are many different types of injections for treatment available to those with either chronic or acute conditions. We’ll acquaint you with some of the most common examples below.
Types of Pain Management Injections
- SIJ Injections: These are therapeutic injections where cortisone goes directly into the joint through the needle.
- Lumbar Facet Injections: These are therapeutic injections where cortisone goes directly into the joints from a needle.
- Lumbar Medial Branch Blocks: Diagnostic procedure in which Lidocaine “tests” the joints nerve endings verifying one responds with pain relief. Doctors hit the correct nerve when the patient feels relief, making them a candidate for a Radiofrequency Ablation.
- Radiofrequency Ablation or RFA: Therapeutic procedure where nerve findings come from the Medial Branch Blocks (or MBB’s); these nerves then receive cauterization for long-lasting relief.
- Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injection: Therapeutic injection where cortisone goes around the hurt disc and nerve endings for pain relief.
Medicare Coverage for Pain Management Injections
Usually, Medicare covers pain management injections when they’re determined to be medically necessary. Suppose you’re receiving an injection during an inpatient stay at a hospital. In that case, it will receive coverage from Part A. If your doctor administers the procedure in an outpatient setting, Part B covers the injection.
Does Medicare Cover Radiofrequency Ablation?
When a doctor deems RFA medically necessary, it gets coverage. To determine this, you may need to prove that other methods weren’t successful in managing your pain. You could be responsible for a copayment, deductible, or coinsurance. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, costs may vary, so contact your plan for details.
Medicare Coverage for SIJ Injections
Sacroiliac joint injections are also known as SIJ injections. They are therapeutic injections that treat pain and inflammation. The practitioner injects numbing medication and cortisone into the sacroiliac joint, which is located by the buttocks. If doctors consider this injection necessary for pain relief, it will get coverage from Medicare.
Medicare Coverage for Lumbar Facet Injections
Lumbar facet injections diagnose the joints as the patient’s pain source. The procedure is necessary if facet joint syndrome is suspected as the cause of back or neck pain.
The request should be for one or more of the following:
- Diagnostic facet injections
- Therapeutic or repeat doses
- Trigger point injections
- Sacroiliac joint injections
- Repeat sacroiliac injections
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Medicare Coverage for Lumbar Medial Branch Blocks
Lumbar medial branch blocks refer to a diagnostic procedure where injection of an anesthetic “tests” the joint’s nerve endings. This is done to verify the pain relief response and receives coverage when medically necessary. When the patient feels relief, they’re a candidate for radiofrequency ablation.
Does Medicare Cover Lumbar Epidural Steroid Injections?
For example, the reason for pain and details of failing to get relief from other treatments. If the pain isn’t sciatica or radicular pain, the injections are less useful.
Medicare Coverage for Conditions of Lower Back Requiring Pain Management Treatments
Below, we’ll go over some spine-related ailments the details of coverage for each treatment.
Sciatica
Only those feeling pain starting from the sacroiliac joint, or SIJ, have true sciatica. Those suffering from sciatica can obtain coverage for lumbar epidural steroid injections.
Disc Herniation
Sometimes, surgery, known as a discectomy, is performed to fix a herniated disc. But, Medicare doesn’t cover discectomies because patients can often get relief for a herniated disc through non-surgical approaches. These avenues for relief include exercise, physical therapy, massage, and pain medication. Epidural steroid injections can also help.
Lumbar Stenosis
Medicare doesn’t consider the treatment of percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression (PILD), so there is no coverage.
Facet Joint Arthropathy
If medically necessary, epidural steroid injections for this condition obtain coverage from Medicare. Physical therapy may also help with this condition but might not get coverage unless a doctor refers you.
Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
Medicare doesn’t cover lumbar artificial disc replacement (LADR) surgery. Alternative treatments are pain management medications and physical therapy. The latter have coverage when a doctor refers you to help get back on your feet.
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Hi Marvin! There is no limit on how many injections you can get as long as they are considered medically necessary. I would recommend contacting you Medicare Advantage carrier to confirm.
Hi Georgia! There is no limit on the number of injections a patient can get as long as they are considered “medically necessary.”
Hi Poppy! Yes, as long as it’s considered medically necessary, Medicare will cover the anesthesia.
Hi Robert! As long as it’s considered medically necessary, your Medicare Advantage plan should cover it. I would recommend contacting UnitedHealthcare to confirm.