ReWalk receives commercial insurance coverage
In a turning point for the paralysis care industry, a device from Marlborough medical device manufacturer ReWalk Robotics received comprehensive coverage through the first such policy from a commercial insurer. The insurance company also issued its first reimbursement to a patient who purchased a ReWalk exoskeleton.
ReWalk declined to name the insurer, which based its policy on a review of current clinical literature on powered exoskeleton-assisted walking for patients with spinal cord injury when deciding to cover the exoskeleton in its plan.
The first reimbursement from this plan went to Jackson Larson of Cambridge, Minn. for his ReWalk 6.0 Personal System. Larson suffered a spinal cord injury in 2010 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
This is the first time a commercial insurance provider has offered a comprehensive policy for exoskeleton technologies, said Larry Jasinski, president and CEO of ReWalk, marking what he said is a turning point for the industry.
“We expect this decision will not only speed the reimbursement process for members of the plan, but also pave the way for additional private insurers to follow suit," said Jasinski.
Late last year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued a national policy for the evaluation, training and purchase of ReWalk personal exoskeleton systems for qualifying U.S. veterans, according to the company. ReWalk is the first U.S. exoskeleton to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for home use, community use and use in the rehabilitation setting.
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