CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Olympus, a global leader in designing and delivering innovative medical technology solutions, announced today a new patient access program called Olympus UNITE that assists patients in gaining access to new medical technologies. At this time, the program is supporting patients who are candidates for the Spiration™ Valve System for the treatment of symptoms caused by severe emphysema and the iTind™ procedure for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The program is being administered by PRIA Healthcare Management, an organization with 10 years of experience in helping patients navigate medical insurance systems and access the care of most benefit to them. Patients receive advanced notice of the costs and insurance coverage for the procedure from their healthcare provider, and with this information, they can plan accordingly.
Olympus UNITE may include services such as pre-authorization and patient appeals services, strategic reimbursement support, and hotlines to support coverage, coding, and payment concerns. The Olympus UNITE program is expected to expand to include services for other product areas in the future. Healthcare providers, insurance staff, and patients with questions about the program should email <olympusunite@priahealthcare.com>.
“The Olympus UNITE team works with insurance companies and educates them on the benefits of emerging medical technologies like the Spiration Valve System and the iTind procedure,” said Paul Skodny, Executive Director of Global Health Economics and Market Access at Olympus Corporation of the Americas. “These services help drive efficiencies in the pre-authorization process and may save valuable time for patients, as well as physicians and their staff. Olympus provides pre-service authorization and post-service claims appeal support at no additional cost to our healthcare customers and their patients.”
The Spiration Valve System
The Spiration Valve System is used to perform bronchoscopic lung volume reduction (BLVR) with endobronchial valves for the treatment of lung hyperinflation caused by severe emphysema, a form of COPD. “Patients suffering from severe emphysema need to able to access technological advances in healthcare, like BLVR, which clinical trials have proven can help them to breathe better and function better in their daily lives,” said Swarna Alcorn, Respiratory Business Unit Vice President at Olympus America Inc. “They often need support navigating potential barriers to treatment that can come with insurance paperwork.”i
Potential complications which may be associated with the use of the Spiration Valve System may include, but are not limited to, pneumothorax, worsening of COPD symptoms, pneumonia, and dyspnea
