Aetna to Cover Given Imaging's Capsule Endoscopy

Hopefully more will follow suit....BD

JERUSALEM (Reuters) Nov 19 - Israeli medical device maker Given Imaging said on Monday Aetna, the No. 3 U.S. health insurer, had agreed to cover its capsule endoscopy. Following Aetna's decision, the health insurer will now cover patients for the screening and surveillance of varicose veins that occur in the esophagus as a result of portal hypertension using capsule endoscopy of the esophagus, Given Imaging said in a statement.

"We hope that additional payers will soon recognize the value of this non-invasive procedure to identify patients with varices (varicose veins) so that we can use proven prophylatic therapies to reduce the risk of bleeding," said John Vierling, M.D. of Baylor College of Medicine in the statement.