NANS submitted comments to the BlueCross BlueShield Association (with a a copy to HCSC) urging the organization to recognize PNS as a medically necessary treatment option for appropriately selected patients living with chronic pain.
In its letter, NANS emphasized that modern PNS therapies have evolved significantly over the past decade. Today’s FDA-cleared systems are supported by a growing body of clinical evidence, including randomized controlled trials demonstrating meaningful improvements in pain, function, and quality of life.
PNS is no longer a single emerging technology, but a mature class of neuromodulation therapies that includes multiple FDA-cleared platforms currently used in clinical practice. The therapy aligns with broader healthcare goals by offering a non-opioid treatment option that may reduce reliance on long-term medications and help some patients avoid more invasive surgical procedures. Existing Medicare coverage policies and recent coverage expansions by other national payers are evidence that PNS has achieved broad recognition as a reasonable and necessary therapy for chronic pain.