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Today, I attended the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee hearing on National coverage for DBS. Barry Green, a PWP from Texas, was the requester for this coverage decision. He asked me to read his statement in his absence. Technical Presentations were given by Drs. Roy Bakay and Erwin Montgomery for Medtronic, Dr. Joan Vatz, from BC/BS who conducted a technology assessment, and Dr. Celia Witten, from the devices review division at FDA. The committee was quite favorable toward the coverage of DBS, finding evidence for substantially more effective treatment for patients in which levodopa treatment no longer works. Much of the discussion centered on the need to set standards for this delicate procedure. The coverage decision still has a couple of more hoops until a final decision is made toward the end of the year. Hats off to Barry Green. Perry Cohen ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn