Highmark partnering with VR company on low back pain
The VR experience is designed to teach skills for managing chronic lower back pain and has demonstrated efficacy in some studies.
Photo: CatherineFallsCommercial/Getty Images
Highmark, a commercial health insurance plan based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will now cover RelieVRx, an FDA-authorized device for chronic low back pain (CLBP) created by AppliedVR, a virtual reality-based therapeutics company.
This makes RelieVRx accessible as a covered therapeutic to more than 4 million of Highmark's commercial members.
RelieVRx offers an immersive VR experience designed to teach skills for managing CLBP, with one study showing it can reduce pain intensity across socioeconomic groups.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Patients using RelieVRx undergo a 56-session, multimodal program, featuring daily VR sessions that address the bio-psycho-social aspects of pain. RelieVRx is self-administered by patients in their own homes.
In clinical testing, the technology's usability ratings were consistently high (A+), which was largely consistent across subgroups.
Highmark's decision to cover RelieVRx follows an evaluation of AppliedVR's clinical studies, including a large study with more than 1,000 participants that found RelieVRx can have a clinically meaningful impact on reducing pain intensity and interference.
Eligible commercial members aged 18 and older diagnosed with moderate to severe CLBP can now obtain a prescription for RelieVRx from their healthcare provider without prior authorization.
THE LARGER TREND
Chronic pain imposes a significant economic burden on the U.S., estimated at $635 billion annually, and is a primary driver of the opioid crisis. More than 72 million Americans suffer from CLBP, which also is a leading cause of disability.
While Highmark becomes the first commercial health plan to adopt coverage for RelieVRx, it previously received a unique code and final pricing determination from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It also was added to the Department of Veterans Affairs' Federal Supply Schedule (FSS), Defense Logistics Agency's Electronic Catalog for Medical Supply Chain (ECAT), and the Department of Defense's Distribution and Pricing Agreement (DAPA), allowing government customers to make streamlined purchases.
AppliedVR also recently expanded into the Worker's Compensation market.
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
