Gastric band gets Blues’ TEC support
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding is "a reasonable choice for a patient considering bariatric surgery" to treat obesity, according to an upcoming report from the BlueCross BlueShield Association's Technology Evaluation Center. The report reverses TEC's 2005 opinion that the procedure - for which Allergan/Inamed's Lap-Band is the only FDA-approved device - did not meet TEC's health benefit criteria when compared to gastric bypass, primarily due to lack of long-term data (1"The Gray Sheet" Sept. 19, 2005, p. 11). While TEC does not make reimbursement decisions, payors often consult the center's assessments...