, /PRNewswire/ -- Olympus, a leading global medtech company providing innovative solutions for medical and surgical procedures, announced today positive changes to commercial payer policies covering patients who could benefit from the iTind™ procedure, a minimally invasive treatment for the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate. Most notably, Aetna, a CVS Health company, updated its Clinical Policy Bulletin 0079 for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia to include the iTind procedure as medically necessary in cases where the prostate volume is between 25 and 75 g, and there is a lack of obstruction in the median lobe. This policy update affects 25 million lives covered nationwide.
In addition, three regional health plans updated their policies. These positive policy updates affect approximately 2 million more lives across , , , , and . The positive commercial payer policy changes remove barriers to access for physicians who recommend the iTind procedure to their BPH patients, as well as for patients seeking a proven alternative to more invasive treatment options or pharmaceuticals that may come with unwanted side effects.
The policy updates increase the likelihood of the iTind procedure being covered by payers and fosters greater adoption by both patients and physicians seeking safe and effective treatment for BPH. "We are very pleased to see these positive coverage updates for the iTind procedure," said , P.
