Two Ways VR Reaches a Client. How to Tell Which One You Are Buying.
Reviewed by Marc Ó Gríofa, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Neurova Labs
Walk an exhibit floor this month and you will see a dozen headsets and hear a dozen pitches. Underneath them sit two different businesses. The difference decides who signs the order, who runs the session, and who pays.
Most buyers work this out three meetings in. It is faster to know before the first one.
What is the reimbursement route for VR?
On the reimbursement route, a clinician orders a VR product for a specific person, it is supplied through a durable medical equipment channel, and it is billed. The clinician keeps oversight of the care.
Effective April 1, 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services established HCPCS code E1905, described officially as a "virtual reality cognitive behavior therapy device (cbt), including pre-programmed therapy software." It was the first therapeutic virtual reality device to receive a HCPCS code and a durable medical equipment benefit category determination.
A code existing is a separate question from a payer paying. Coverage policy, documentation requirements, and prior authorization all sit between the code and the check. Ask any vendor on this route whether they have been paid under the code, by whom, and how often.
What is the program route for VR?
On the program route, an organization buys access to software it runs itself. The organization's own staff are trained and certified as facilitators. Sessions run on the organization's schedule, in a room it already has. No clinician order, no claim.
The cost shows up as an operating expense or comes out of a grant. The cost people underestimate is staff time.
This route suits an organization that wants structure between clinical sessions, group programming, or support for people who sit outside a billable episode of care.
How can a buyer tell the two routes apart?
A buyer can tell the two routes apart with five questions at the demo table.
Does this require a clinician's order for a named individual?
Is it billed to a payer? Under what code, and have you been paid under it?
What is the exact regulatory status, in FDA's own words? Registered, cleared, and approved describe three different things.
Who runs a session, what training do they need, and how long does that training take?
What does the product measure, and can I see the measurement documentation on its own?
Which route is Neurova Labs on?
Neurova Labs is on the program route, and we say so at the table.
Neurova Labs sells software access. A facility's own certified facilitators run Neurova Academy, five daily sessions of about thirty minutes, standing in roughly a square meter of space. We do not bill insurance. No clinician orders the program for a named patient.
Neurova Academy is a general wellness and cognitive training program. It is not a medical device, it is not FDA approved or FDA cleared, and it is not offered to diagnose, treat, cure, or mitigate any disease or condition, including concussion, traumatic brain injury, or CTE.
We measure RNA gene expression from whole blood through iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory. Cohort results reported to date are observational pilot findings.
If the reimbursement route is what your organization needs, take it. The buyers who get the best result are the ones who knew which of the two they were shopping for before they walked the floor.
To bring Neurova Academy to your unit, clinic, or community, visit neurovalabs.com.
About Neurova Labs
Neurova Labs is a veteran-led neurotechnology company based in Salt Lake City. Its program, Neurova Academy, is a facilitator-led neuro-immersive brain training program designed to support focus, stress regulation, and mental endurance, with no clinical infrastructure required. Programs can add an optional 22-marker panel measuring RNA gene expression from whole blood, processed by iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. Neurova Labs works with military units, first responder agencies, clinics, and community organizations. Learn more at neurovalabs.com.
Media contact: nathaniel.free@neurovalabs.com
Neurova Academy is a general wellness and cognitive training program. It is not a medical device and is not offered to diagnose, treat, cure, or mitigate any disease or condition, including concussion, traumatic brain injury, or CTE. Laboratory testing provided by iXpressGenes, a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited laboratory. References to government publications and payment policy are for commentary only and do not imply endorsement of Neurova Labs by any federal entity.
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