WEST CHESTER, PA — Centinel Spine®, LLC announced a major reimbursement shift in Arizona as the state’s second largest commercial payer adopted new evidence-based coverage criteria for one- and two-level lumbar total disc replacement (TDR). The updated policy, which applies to procedures at levels L3–S1 using FDA-approved devices, expands access to more than one million people across the state.
The decision marks a meaningful departure from the payer’s prior stance, which did not cover lumbar TDR. Because prodisc L is the only lumbar TDR device in the United States with FDA approval for both one- and two-level use, the new criteria apply exclusively to Centinel Spine’s system. The device is designed to replace diseased discs while preserving motion at the treated level, an approach intended to maintain natural spinal function when clinically appropriate.
Centinel Spine said the update reflects a growing national trend as commercial insurers increasingly recognize long-term outcomes and surgeon experience supporting lumbar disc replacement. Coverage for one-level lumbar TDR in the U.S. has climbed from roughly 50 percent of commercially insured lives in 2017 to nearly 95 percent today. Two-level coverage, once limited, now exceeds 40 percent.
Karam Moon, MD, a neurosurgeon at SWAN Brain & Spine in Scottsdale, said the change will allow physicians to discuss TDR more openly with eligible patients. He noted that clear coverage criteria remove a major barrier for individuals who may benefit from disc replacement rather than more restrictive surgical options.
Centinel Spine continues to position prodisc L as a differentiated technology in a growing segment of spine care, supported by expanding reimbursement pathways and increasing adoption across diverse patient populations.
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