Spinal Cord Stimulators for Chronic Pain

LCD Information Document Information Source LCD ID N/A LCD ID L37632 Original ICD-9 LCD ID Not Applicable LCD Title Spinal Cord Stimulators for Chronic Pain Proposed LCD in Comment Period N/A Source Proposed LCD N/A Original Effective Date For services performed on or after 01/29/2018 Revision Effective Date For services performed on or after 05/13/2021 Revision Ending Date N/A Retirement Date N/A Notice Period Start Date 12/14/2017 Notice Period End Date 01/28/2018 CPT codes, descriptions, and other data only are copyright 2025 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Fee schedules, relative value units, conversion factors and/or related components are not assigned by the AMA, are not part of CPT, and the AMA is not recommending their use. The AMA does not directly or indirectly practice medicine or dispense medical services. The AMA assumes no liability for data contained or not contained herein. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Current Dental Terminology © 2025 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2026, the American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois. Reproduced with permission. No portion of the AHA copyrighted materials contained within this publication may be copied without the express written consent of the AHA. AHA copyrighted materials including the UB‐04 codes and descriptions may not be removed, copied, or utilized within any software, product, service, solution, or derivative work without the written consent of the AHA. If an entity wishes to utilize any AHA materials, please contact the AHA at ub04@aha.org or 312‐422‐3366. Making copies or utilizing the content of the UB‐04 Manual, including the codes and/or descriptions, for internal purposes, resale and/or to be used in any product or publication; creating any modified or derivative work of the UB‐04 Manual and/or codes and descriptions; and/or making any commercial use of UB‐04 Manual or any portion thereof, including the codes and/or descriptions, is only authorized with an express license from the American Hospital Association. The American Hospital Association (the "AHA") has not reviewed, and is not responsible for, the completeness or accuracy of any information contained in this material, nor was the AHA or any of its affiliates, involved in the preparation of this material, or the analysis of information provided in the material. The views and/or positions presented in the material do not necessarily represent the views of the AHA. CMS and its products and services are not endorsed by the AHA or any of its affiliates. Issue Issue Description Issue - Explanation of Change Between Proposed LCD and Final LCD CMS National Coverage Policy Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, §1862(a)(1)(A) allows coverage and payment for only those services that are considered to be reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury or to improve the functioning of a malformed body member. CMS Internet-Only Manual, Pub. 100-03, Medicare National Coverage Determinations Manual, Chapter 1, Part 2, §160.7 Electrical Nerve Stimulators Coverage Indications, Limitations, and/or Medical Necessity BackgroundThe implantation of spinal cord stimulators (SCS) may be covered as therapies for the relief of chronic intractable pain. SCS is best suited for neuropathic pain, but may have some limited value in other types of nociceptive severe, intractable pain. Therapy consists of a short trial with a percutaneous implantation of neurostimulator electrode(s) in the epidural space for assessing a patient’s suitability for ongoing treatment with a permanent surgically implanted nerve stimulator. Performance and documentation of an effective trial is a prerequisite for permanent nerve stimulation.Selection of patients for implantation of SCS is critical to success of this therapy. SCS therapy should be considered as a late option after more conservative attempts, such as medications, physical therapy, psychological therapy or other modalities have been tried.Patients must have undergone careful screening, evaluation and diagnosis by a multidisciplinary team prior to implantation. (Such screening must include psychological, as well as, physical evaluation). Documentation of the history and careful screening must be available in the patient chart if requested.Many experts recommend that the temporary neurostimulator be placed in an Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) or outpatient hospital setting. However, the temporary neurostimulator trial can be done in an office setting if all the sterility, equipment, professional training and support personnel required for the proper surgery, and follow up of the patient are available. Permanent neurostimulators must be placed in an ASC or hospital. Physicians performing SCS trials in the office setting must have like privileges at a local hospital or ASC, or the providers must be subspecialty boarded in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology.It is preferable that physicians performing the SCS trial will also perform the permanent implant. If the physician implanting the trial neurostimulator does not or cannot implant the permanent neurostimulator, the patient should be informed of this in writing and given the name of the referral surgeon, who will implant the permanent neurostimulator(s). It is expected that accurate patient selection will lead to most patients going on to receive permanent implants.Only patients who experience a positive response to a trial should proceed to a permanent implantation. All trials which proceed to permanent implant must have adequate documentation in the chart to support that decision. A successful trial should be associated with at least a 50% reduction of target pain, or 50% reduction of analgesic medications, and show some element of functional improvement. (Patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy may show lower levels of improvement, since it takes longer periods for improvement than the typical 1 to 2 week trial). Physician judgment and experience will also be taken into account. Physicians with a low trial to permanent implant ratio (less than 50%) may/can/will be subject to post-payment review and may be asked to submit documentation as to the patient selection criteria, the radiologic imaging demonstrating proper lead placement, and the medical necessity of the trials. Failure to provide this documentation will be cause for post-payment denial and recoupment of reimbursement. It is understood that all patients may not have a favorable result of the trial implant; but careful selection should find the most appropriate patients. Summary of Evidence N/A Analysis of Evidence (Rationale for Determination) N/A

Background The implantation of spinal cord stimulators (SCS) may be covered as therapies for the relief of chronic intractable pain. SCS is best suited for neuropathic pain, but may have some limited value in other types of nociceptive severe, intractable pain. Therapy consists of a short trial with a percutaneous implantation of neurostimulator electrode(s) in the epidural space for assessing a patient’s suitability for ongoing treatment with a permanent surgically implanted nerve stimulator. Performance and documentation of an effective trial is a prerequisite for permanent nerve stimulation. Selection of patients for implantation of SCS is critical to success of this therapy. SCS therapy should be considered as a late option after more conservative attempts, such as medications, physical therapy, psychological therapy or other modalities have been tried. Patients must have undergone careful screening, evaluation and diagnosis by a multidisciplinary team prior to implantation. (Such screening must include psychological, as well as, physical evaluation). Documentation of the history and careful screening must be available in the patient chart if requested. Many experts recommend that the temporary neurostimulator be placed in an Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) or outpatient hospital setting. However, the temporary neurostimulator trial can be done in an office setting if all the sterility, equipment, professional training and support personnel required for the proper surgery, and follow up of the patient are available. Permanent neurostimulators must be placed in an ASC or hospital. Physicians performing SCS trials in the office setting must have like privileges at a local hospital or ASC, or the providers must be subspecialty boarded in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology. It is preferable that physicians performing the SCS trial will also perform the permanent implant. If the physician implanting the trial neurostimulator does not or cannot implant the permanent neurostimulator, the patient should be informed of this in writing and given the name of the referral surgeon, who will implant the permanent neurostimulator(s). It is expected that accurate patient selection will lead to most patients going on to receive permanent implants. Only patients who experience a positive response to a trial should proceed to a permanent implantation. All trials which proceed to permanent implant must have adequate documentation in the chart to support that decision. A successful trial should be associated with at least a 50% reduction of target pain, or 50% reduction of analgesic medications, and show some element of functional improvement. (Patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy may show lower levels of improvement, since it takes longer periods for improvement than the typical 1 to 2 week trial). Physician judgment and experience will also be taken into account. Physicians with a low trial to permanent implant ratio (less than 50%) may/can/will be subject to post-payment review and may be asked to submit documentation as to the patient selection criteria, the radiologic imaging demonstrating proper lead placement, and the medical necessity of the trials. Failure to provide this documentation will be cause for post-payment denial and recoupment of reimbursement. It is understood that all patients may not have a favorable result of the trial implant; but careful selection should find the most appropriate patients.