Commercial Coverage of MR-guided Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor 

Aetna (Hartford, CT) has announced they will provide insurance coverage for MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (FUS) for treating medication-refractory essential tremor (ET). This treatment is availabe at over 60 treatment centers and employs ultrasound waves to create targeted zones of therapeutic thermal injury for treatment of essential tremor and Parkinson disease (PD) associated tremor. Rates of efficacy for this noninvasive technique are similar to that seen with invasive deep brain stimulation for treatment of these types of tremors.

"This is a huge step in expanding patient access to nonMedicare patients," said Dee Kolanek, Insightec vice president of Reimbursement. "We applaud leading insurers like Aetna for their decision to cover this outpatient treatment for patients suffering from ET."

"Focused ultrasound technology has come a long way since the initial ET pilot trial," said Dr. Jeffrey Elias, the director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia. "Today, the clinical community is able to provide strong real-world evidence in support of coverage decisions."

FUS treatment for medication-refractory ET is also covered under Medicare in the US and is a covered benefit under 30 independent Blue Cross Blue Shield Association plans and 9 private payors. With Aetna's annoucement, FUS for ET is now covered by government and private insurers in all 50 states.

"Developing amazing technology is just the beginning – patient access is critical," commented Maurice R. Ferré MD, Insightec’s chief executive officer and chairman of the Board of Directors. "We continue to focus on helping transform the lives of millions of people by giving them back their ability to live independently, return to work, and improve their mental and physical health."