AppliedVR’s Virtual Reality Device Gets First HCPCS Code as DME

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has given Applied VR a unique payment code — the first for a virtual reality (VR) device — for its RelieVRx, providing a pathway for Medicare and Medicaid to cover the device as durable medical equipment (DME).

RelieVRx is an FDA Class II virtual reality cognitive behavioral therapy device for treating chronic lower back pain. The device was granted FDA breakthrough status in March 2021 as the first de novo immersive virtual reality medical device for home use.

Available only by prescription, the device consists of preloaded software, a proprietary headset and a patented breathing amplifier which allows for integration of bio-enabled immersive experiences. AppliedVR says the device previously became the first VR-based therapeutic to receive FDA authorization for treating chronic lower back pain.

The company said it will now work with CMS to establish a payment rate as it “continues to ready itself for broader market launch across the U.S.”