Recommended Policy for Electrodiagnostic Medicine

Executive Summary The electrodiagnostic medicine (EDX) evaluation is an important and useful extension of the clinical evaluation of patients with disorders of the peripheral and/or central nervous system. EDX tests are often crucial to evaluating symptoms, arriving at a proper diagnosis, and in following a disease process and its response to treatment in patients with neuromuscular (NM) disorders. Unfortunately, EDX studies are poorly understood by many in the medical and lay communities. Even more unfortunately, these studies have occasionally been abused by some providers, resulting in overutilization and inappropriate consumption of scarce health resources. The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) has developed this model policy to improve the quality of patient care, to encourage appropriate utilization of the procedures involved, and to assist public and private insurance carriers in developing policy regarding EDX testing. This document contains recommendations which can be used in developing and revising current reimbursement guidelines.