Corticosteroid Injections for Chronic Hip Pain

Anti-inflammatory medication

Threshold

This policy covers the management of patients with chronic hip pain.  This policy does not cover indications for referral such as infection, malignancy or acute traumatic event.

Corticosteroid injections:

• Up to 3 intra-articular corticosteroid injections per joint will be funded for the treatment of hip osteoarthritis.
• Corticosteroid injections will be funded, as required for the treatment of hip bursitis (trochanteric or other), or as an aid in joint manipulation.
• Diagnostic hip injections performed to elucidate the source of symptoms will be funded (this may include corticosteroid and joint manipulation).
• Corticosteroid injections for other hip indications will not be funded routinely.

Injections of other substances into the hip will not be funded without exceptional case panel approval.

Cases for Individual Funding Consideration (Patients who do not meet the policy criteria)

On a case to case basis, patients might be eligible for surgical intervention, in consideration of their exceptionality. The requesting clinician must provide information to support the case for being considered an exception, by submitting an individual funding request.