NEWS BRIEFS

New knee code at work

Synvisc (hylan G-F 20), treatment for osteoar thritis of the knee, is reimbursable under HCPCS code J-7320 effective Jan. 1.

According to Endre A. Balazs, MD, chief executive officer of Biomatrix Inc., the drug’s maker, "Receipt of a unique HCPCS code for our patent-protected Synvisc is a very important achievement. It signifies that Synvisc is recognized as a unique viscosupplementation device with physical properties that distinguish it from other generic hyaluronan products." Synvisc is marketed by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.

Prostate procedure approved

VidaMed Inc. of Freemont, CA, has announced that, effective immediately, Los Angeles-based Medicare carrier Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company has begun reimbursing its TUNA (Transurethral Needle Ablation) procedure, a minimally invasive treatment of symptoms associated with enlarged prostate disease, or benign prostatic hyperplasia. The reimbursement policy approval covering TUNA, Final Local Medical Review Policy #98.5-6E, was published in Transamerica’s December 1998 newsletter.

VidaMed says it hopes to be approved for Medicare reimbursement in northern California in the near future.