Re: HVHS and Traction

[Guest guest]

The evidence for value of traction is quite poor. If used, documentation should

clearly state why patient was not appropriate for any of the other more

evidence-based classifications as defined by Delietto and refined more recently

by Fritz.

M. Ball, PT, DPT, PhD

Carolinas Rehabilitation

Orthopedic PT Resident

Charlotte/Concord, NC

> Does anyone know where I can get a copy of Tricare South's policies

> regarding traction? I have a clinic that is being paid for traction on some

> patients and yet on others they receive a letter requesting additional

> information and then deny payment of traction is experimental. Calling

> provider relations is not helpful and they don't give out the phone number

> to Medical Review Services, which I actually understand but I can not find a

> policy on their website to explain this. Can anyone explain to me why they

> pay for traction on some and not others? The therapist would modify their

> treatment plan or better document the need if we knew what the policy was.

>

> Thanks for any help in this matter.

>

> Becky A. Sewell, MRC, CRC

>

> Rehab Net of AR/ArPTA

>

> P.O. Box 202

>

> Conway, AR 72033

>

> ph/fax

>

> _____

>

>

[Guest guest]

This is where I found the following:

http://manuals.tricare.osd.mil/DisplayManualFile.aspx?Manual=TP02

<http://manuals.tricare.osd.mil/DisplayManualFile.aspx?Manual=TP02 & Change=15

0 & Type=AsOf & Filename=C7S18_2.PDF & highlight=xml%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fmanuals.tricar

e.osd.mil%2fPdfHighlighter.aspx%3fDocId%3d45160%26Index%3dD%253a%255cIndex%2

55cTP02%26HitCount%3d1%26hits%3d37%2b>

& Change=150 & Type=AsOf & Filename=C7S18_2.PDF & highlight=xml%3dhttp%3a%2f%2fmanu

als.tricare.osd.mil%2fPdfHighlighter.aspx%3fDocId%3d45160%26Index%3dD%253a%2

55cIndex%255cTP02%26HitCount%3d1%26hits%3d37%2b

As for being paid or not paid for various patients, it may depend on the

diagnosis used.

IV. EXCLUSIONS

A. The following services are not covered:

13. Nonsurgical spinal decompression therapy (including Internal or

Intervertebral

Disc Decompression (IDD), Decompression Reduction Stabilization (DRS), or

Vertebral Axial

Decompression (VAX-D) therapy) provided by mechanical or motorized traction

for the

treatment of low back and/or neck pain is unproven. The use of powered

traction devices

(including, but not limited to, the Accu-SPINAT, VAX-D, and DRX9000) are

likewise

unproven.

17. Spinalator therapy and use of a Spinalator Table for the treatment of

neck and low

back pain. Spinalator therapy is defined as a type of traction that uses the

patient's weight to

create the traction force in the absence of any external pulling force. The

Spinalator Table is

defined as a table with rollers that applies consistent pressure and

movement under the

patient in the absence of any external pulling devices.

Ruesewald

Therapy Billing

603 W 6th Ave, Ste 305, Corsicana, TX 75110

fax

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From: PTManager [mailto:PTManager ] On Behalf

Of Becky Sewell

Sent: Monday, December 19, 2011 9:38 AM

To: PTManager

Subject: HVHS and Traction

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of Tricare South's policies

regarding traction? I have a clinic that is being paid for traction on some

patients and yet on others they receive a letter requesting additional

information and then deny payment of traction is experimental. Calling

provider relations is not helpful and they don't give out the phone number

to Medical Review Services, which I actually understand but I can not find a

policy on their website to explain this. Can anyone explain to me why they

pay for traction on some and not others? The therapist would modify their

treatment plan or better document the need if we knew what the policy was.

Thanks for any help in this matter.

Becky A. Sewell, MRC, CRC

Rehab Net of AR/ArPTA

P.O. Box 202

Conway, AR 72033

ph/fax

_____