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Some comments about the pallidotomy. Here in California and other places it is not experimental surgery. The surgery is overed by Medicare, Medical, Blue Cross, Aetna, Travelers, etc. The major insurers come around when they find out that Medicare pays for it. I went to Sweden for a Right Pallidotomy and Aetna paid for it in Sweden. The insurance companies will almost always give you a run around They make money by denying benefits. This is not a new procedure, it has been around for 40 years. Currently HMOs are not covering it. Our biggest HMO in California is Kaiser. YPSN is working very close with Kaiser in hopes they will cover it in the near future. I know of two HMOs that have help pay for the pallidotomy under duress. It also depends on the condition of the patient I am told. If there is a question about insurance, have your doctor call Loma Linda U. Medical Center at (909) 796-4822. This is the phone number given out in a brochure on Loma Linda Medical Center for information on insurance. The following list is my list of doctors / contact persons performing the pallidotomy. I do not recommend physicians, that is up to the patient, carepartner and physician. Location,Contact, phone, Fax Boston, Rees Crosgrove, MD, 617-724-0357 Salt Lake City John Roberts, MD, 801-585-6848 NYC Michael Dogali, MD, 212-598-6300 Loma Linda, CA Robert Iacono, MD, 909-796-4822 Los Angeles Antonio DeSalles, MD 310-794-1221, 310-794-7491 Minneapolis Robert Maxwell, MD 612-624-1114 Dartmouth David Roberts, MD, 603-650-8736 Atlanta James R. Stanton, 404-727-3157 New Brunswick Richard Lehman, MD 908-745-7520 San Francisco Nickolas Barbaro, MD 415-476-4768 Los Angeles Skip Jacques, MD, 800-762-1692 Chicago Richard Penn, MD, 312-942-6644 Stockholm Lauri Laitinen, MD, 46 8 660 1489, 46 8 660 1421 Toronto ?? Japan ?? Austria ?? These numbers should be able to give you additional information about the pallidotomy proceedure as performed at these locations. The last three I know are doing the pallidotomy because they have written reports on their results. I do not know contacts or phone numbers. Regards, Alan Bonander ([log in to unmask])