Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Health New England updated their minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion policies, significantly expanding access to SI-Bone's iFuse Implant System.
Wellmark's 1.5 million members in South Dakota and Iowa gained coverage for the iFuse Implant System, a surgical system designed to treat sacroiliac joint dysfunction through sacroiliac joint fusion, as of July 1.
Health New England also updated its medical policy to cover the iFuse Implant System when performed by a surgeon, effective Sept. 1. Health New England has about 200,000 members in Massachusetts.
"We are encouraged to see a significant number of U.S. health plans now recognize the benefits of MIS SI joint fusion, as demonstrated by the more than 75 peer-reviewed publications specific to iFuse, and establish positive coverage policies," said Jeffrey Dunn, SI-Bone's president, chairman and CEO.