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Dr. Finkenberg explains when health insurance will cover a kyphoplasty procedure.
Dr. Finkenberg:
Right now most insurances do cover this. The question always is debated as to whether somebody needs to stay in the hospital after the procedure or do it as an outpatient. I think many of the procedures can be done as an outpatient. Unfortunately, many of the people that have these fractures are in their 80s and 90s and have multiple comorbidities. By that I mean cardiac and pulmonary problems. A combination of these as well as possibly antihypertensive medications and anticoagulation type medications result in us bringing them into the hospital.
But most insurances will cover this, and they are actually happy to have you be considered for the procedure because typically it decreases your hospitalization time from a compression fracture to a day or two versus five days to a week if you did not have the procedure.
About Dr. Finkenberg, M.D.
Dr. John Finkenberg has been in practice at Alvarado Hospital for 16 years. He completed his undergraduate and medical degree at UCLA. Following his orthopedic residency at Harbor/UCLA, he received fellowship training in Advanced Spinal Reconstruction Surgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Maryland.
Dr. Finkenberg’s great interest in the advancement of spinal surgery developed from 15 years as a spine consultant assisting with the creation of new technology and procedures. He is a primary investigator for multi-center national research studies and lectures around the world on current research projects.