Farmingville, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/23/2013 -- Insurance companies have discovered that alleviating pain through the use of electrical nerve stimulation has many medical benefits for their clients. Under new guidelines, Medicare will now be paying for TENS units for some patients. It has taken many years for insurance companies to understand that pain management is a very important part of healthcare. As part of this coverage, Medicare will specifically be covering the cost of TENS units for patients who are enrolled in a clinical study and suffer from chronic lower back pain, as well as instances where the patient has chronic intractable pain that is not lower back pain, and for cases of acute post-operative pain.

According to truMedic, many people in the United States suffer from chronic lower back pain. Medicare’s decision to cover TENS units and related supplies used for chronic low back pain, however, is predicated on participation in an approved clinical trial program. There is also an extensive list of what the approved diagnoses for lower back pain can be in order to qualify for the TENS unit.

According to Gordon Kelley with Medicare, “to qualify to receive a TENS unit when you have chronic intractable pain, the pain must be present for at least three months and you must have tried several other appropriate medical treatments. These treatments must have been ineffective and the pain that you are suffering must be a type that is accepted as being responsive to the TENS therapy.” There are certain restrictions with this program. You must be monitored by your doctor and every two months you will be reevaluated. At the end of the two months you may bill for the purchase of the TENS units if the physician has determined that you are likely to benefit from continued use.

Coverage of TENS units for postoperative pain must be billed as a rental and will only be covered for 30 days from the date of surgery. Again, you must be monitored by a physician and at the end of the 30 days. If the physician determines that you are likely to benefit from continued use, you may bill for the purchase of the TENS unit.

For the patients who are unable to have their TENS products covered by insurance, many TENS products, including truMedic’s Electronic Pulse Massager PL-009, can be purchased from Amazon. Like those covered through Medicare, truMedic’s unit is able to provide pain relief in the comfort of your own home.

About truMedic
truMedic is a medical supply company with a focus on TENS units, particularly the Electronic Pulse Massager PL-009, a small unit with numerous medical and pain relief benefits.