About Coverage Recommendations


The NASS Coverage Recommendations are offered in a user-friendly individual chapter format at no cost to NASS Members and payors; $395 per chapter for Nonmembers.

Overview

As part of its mission to foster the highest quality, evidence-based and ethical spine care, NASS continues to develop credible and reasonable coverage recommendations to assist payors, providers, and patients in defining appropriate and fair coverage decisions. NASS evidence-based coverage recommendations are developed to advocate for NASS’ positions on various clinical and practice issues to ensure continued provision of quality spine care.

Comments regarding the coverage recommendations may be submitted to the North American Spine Society and will be considered in development of future revisions of the work.

Methodology

To develop these first-of-their kind coverage recommendations, NASS’ multidisciplinary team of spine specialists systematically reviews available scientific literature. Searches are limited to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical guidelines, and most importantly, randomized controlled trials. Using an evidence-based approach when possible, the team works together to develop the recommendations. In the absence of high-level data, NASS coverage recommendations reflect the multispecialty experience and expertise of the committee members in order to present reasonable standard practice indications in the United States. Click here to access NASS’ Coverage Recommendations Methodology!

Current Coverage Recommendations

Allograft and Demineralized Bone Matrix for Spinal Fusion October 2017 Member: $0.00
Basivertebral Nerve Ablation February 2023 Member: $0.00
Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement November 2015 Member: $0.00
Cervical Fusion May 2023 Member: $0.00
Cervical Laminoplasty July 2014 Member: $0.00
Coccygectomy October 2016 Member: $0.00
Discography October 2019 Member: $0.00
DNA-Based Scoliosis Test August 2016 Member: $0.00
Electrical Stimulation for Bone Healing October 2016 Member: $0.00
Endoscopic Decompression February 2019 Member: $0.00
Epidural Steroid Injection and Selective Spinal Nerve Blocks February 2020 Member: $0.00
Facet Joint Interventions October 2016 Member: $0.00
Interspinous Device Without Fusion May 2014 Member: $0.00
Interspinous Fixation With Fusion December 2019 Member: $0.00
Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems March 2017 Member: $0.00
Laser Spine Surgery May 2014 Member: $0.00
Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement February 2019 Member: $0.00
Lumbar Decompression: Laminectomy, Laminotomy & Foraminotomy January 2022 Member: $0.00
Lumbar Discectomy December 2019 Member: $0.00
Lumbar Fusion June 2021 Member: $0.00
Lumbar Interspinous Device without Fusion and with Decompression May 2018 Member: $0.00
Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion September 2021 Member: $0.00
Percutaneous Thoracolumbar Stabilization May 2014 Member: $0.00
Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein (rhBMP-2) May 2014 Member: $0.00
Sacroiliac Joint Injections and Radiofrequency Ablation October 2020 Member: $0.00
Spinal Cord Stimulation October 2017 Member: $0.00
Vertebral Augmentation March 2023 Member: $0.00


Disclaimers


NASS Coverage Recommendations Disclaimers:

  • The North American Spine Society Coverage Recommendations are developed to assist payers, providers and patients in determining whether medical services and procedures should be covered for payment based on review of the best available clinical evidence and the expert opinion of committee members.
  • NASS coverage recommendations are reviewed and updated periodically and are therefore subject to change.
  • These materials are for the member or purchaser's own personal use, and may not be distributed further or modified in any way without the express permission of NASS. If materials are reproduced, transmitted, distributed or duplicated in accordance with the member or purchaser's own personal use, the materials must be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or duplicated in their entirety.

Translation Disclaimer:

  • Coverage recommendations may be reprinted and translated with the permission of NASS. NASS does not verify, certify and is not responsible for the accuracy of any translations, and has advised any parties translating the NASS coverage recommendations to carefully verify the accuracy of their translations prior to publication and dissemination.
  • In addition, NASS asks that any prospective translator complete the coverage recommendations translation record and send a copy to NASS to keep on file so that NASS may track all translations, appropriately direct individuals to translations of interest and notify translators of content updates and revisions.