Cavitat/Aetna suit settled

Won't it be amusing to see how Timmy spins this one?

Cavitat/Aetna suit settled.

Apparently pressured by the judge, Aetna has settled its suit with
Cavitat Technologies. Cavitat had charged Aetna with acting
improperly by issuing a Clinical Policy Bulletin that criticized
Cavitat's ultrasound device and the associated diagnosis and
treatment of neuralgia-inducing cavitational osteonecrosis (NICO).
"NICO," a condition said to involve "cavities" or cysts within the
jaw, is not a legitimate diagnosis. [Dodes JE, Barrett S. A critical
look at cavitational osteopathosis, NICO, and "biological dentistry."
Quackwatch, May 27, 2006.]
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/cavitation.html

The settlement terms are confidential, but the suit appears to have
failed to achieve its purposes. The suit included a bogus
"racketeering" charge that the judge dismissed last year. The suit's
backers hoped that the prospect of facing racketeering charges would
intimidate dental licensing boards as well as other insurance
companies, but no such effect is apparent. Although Cavitat's name
has been replaced by a more general statement in Aetna's Clinical
Policy Bulletin, its device and NICO-associated practices still
remain ineligible for insurance coverage and are unlikely to be
covered by other companies.

The latest (May 5) version of Aetna's policy states:

1. Aetna considers surgery (including scraping of "infected cavities"
and removal of root-canal-treated teeth) and/or any other therapies
(e.g., rinsing the "cavity" with colloidal silver and administering
chelation therapy and intravenous vitamin C) and bone graft
replacement for the treatment of neuralgia inducing cavitational
osteonecrosis (NICO) related diagnoses to be experimental and
investigational because the clinical significance of this syndrome is
in question.

2. Aetna considers the use of devices to image the jawbones to
diagnose NICO or NICO-type conditions experimental and
investigational because there is no adequate scientific evidence to
support their clinical value.
http://www.aetna.com/cpb/data/CPBA0642.html

During the proceedings, Aetna charged that many practitioners had
received payment by submitting misleading claim forms to Aetna.
[Barrett S. Aetna rips the lid off the Cavitat conspiracy. Dental
Watch, Nov 23, 2005] http://www.dentalwatch.org/news/cavitatsuit.html
It remains to be seen whether Aetna will seek recovery of this money.
Meanwhile, other insurance companies have been alerted to look more
closely at claims submitted for NICO-related procedures, Business
Week published a very critical article
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_03/b3967077.htm, and
several victims of NICO surgery have filed lawsuits against its
practitioners.

http://www.ncahf.org/digest06/06-22.html


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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Cavitat/Aetna suit settled
    ... It was a confidential settlement, so even those who know its details ... "I heard that Aetna settled BIG with Bob Jones' Cavitat Case. ... is not a legitimate diagnosis. ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Re: TIMOTHY BOLEN: We are all waiting for you....
    ... I totally respect the settlement agreement with regard to whatever it ... I was a consultant to Cavitat on the case, ... Aetna had put great emphasis ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • Re: Cavitat/Aetna suit settled
    ... It was a confidential settlement, so even those who know its details ... "I heard that Aetna settled BIG with Bob Jones' Cavitat Case. ... look at cavitational osteopathosis, NICO, and "biological dentistry." ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
  • RICO NICO Colorado , NICO Man goes to Texas
    ... AETNA, INC. state as follows: ... Technologies, Inc. ("CAVITAT, Inc.") is a corporation ... that uses ultrasound technology to create a computer ... Plaintiffs received final FDA clearance on February ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)
  • Tim Bolen on Aetna (Cavitat case)
    ... AETNA Loses Major Dental Case ... In August of 2004, a small manufacturer of medical devices, Cavitat ... Robert S. Baratz MD, DDS, PhD, the National Council Against Health ... to change the trial to as different Court. ...
    (sci.med.dentistry)