In an opinion piece seen on June 29th in the Maryland Coast Dispatch, and more recently in The Philadelphia Inquirer, I provided a brief synopsis about a very disturbing insurance situation that affects MAC Alliance patients in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
In January 2018, I was advised that ImPACT testing, the most statistically sound, most well-researched concussion testing protocol available, would no longer be covered by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. ImPACT is a well-proven concussion tool with millions of test results in the database. Yet Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield now labels the testing “experimental” and will no longer compensate for use of this important protocol. Almost all other insurers cover the test. So why this about-face?
The Philadelphia Inquirer July 29, 2018
Developed by the Pittsburgh-based UPMC Health System, ImPACT has been at the forefront in concussion research and testing for decades. It’s not a new test; it’s certainly not experimental. I can’t help relate this sudden policy change with the fact that Highmark Insurance partners with Allegheny Health Network, a competitive network to UPMAC. And Allegheny has an agreement with C3 Logix, a 2013 concussion tool with a fraction of the results of ImPACT.
My full letter, which has been sent to media across the tri-state area, is included here. If you have any questions, or wish to provide any feedback or comments concerning this controversy, please write to us at drvschaller@macphysicians.com.
