Karina Basso  |  June 30, 2015

Category: Legal News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

power morcellator

Aetna Inc., the third-largest  health insurer in the United States, implemented a new policy to end its coverage of routine use of the laparoscopic power morcellator in hysterectomy and myomectomy surgeries to remove uterine fibroids.

This is a crushing blow for the various power morcellator manufacturers, already suffering from the bad publicity surrounding these surgical tools, which the FDA says can spread cancerous cells during surgery.

Aetna covers an estimated 23 million people across the United States, meaning the policy will have a big impact on the use of power morcellation medical devices.

According to Aetna, the insurer will now require doctors to obtain prior approval for any medical procedures that would employ a power morcellator. A physician can request an exception for patients such as pre-menopausal women who desire to maintain their fertility and do not have other surgical options available.

Women who would also suffer life-threatening risks and severe complications from other procedures would could also request an exemption from Aetna to use a power morcellator.

According to Aetna spokesman Cynthia Michener, “The policy takes into account the latest FDA warnings about the risk that morcellation can spread unsuspected uterine sarcoma in the abdomen and pelvis.”

Aetna is also pushing doctors to discuss the risks and benefits of power morcellators with their patients before surgery, as well as to discuss alternative treatment options for uterine fibroids.

A power morcellator is a medical tool used by surgeons during minimally invasive procedures. The tool is inserted into the patient’s body via a small incision in the abdominal cavity, where it then shreds the uterine fibroid in order to facilitate extraction of the biological material from the surgical site.

However, according to research studies and morcellation cancer lawsuits, power morcellators are prone to shredding and spreading cancerous cells hidden among the benign uterine fibroids.

The FDA estimates that one in every 350 women undergoing a laparoscopic hysterectomy or myomectomy has an undiagnosed uterine sarcoma. The agency followed up this estimation with a November 2014 notice, stating that power morcellators should not be used in for the vast majority of hysterectomy and myomectomy procedures.

A call for a “black box” warning label for all power morcellator devices was also mandated by the FDA, warning consumers and doctors about the potential for morcellator cancer.

Nationwide Strike Against Power Morcellator Use

Aetna is not the only insurance company banning or limiting the use of power morcellators for laparoscopic procedures. Health Care Service Corp., which is the fourth largest health insurer in the nation, proposed that power morcellators be labeled as “not medically necessary” as of June 1.

This means that typically a power morcellator procedure will not be covered for Health Care Service members. Anthem Inc. has not banned power morcellators or specifically targeted the devices under the coverage policies, but has set a prior authorization requirement for those wishing to a hysterectomy of any type, including those using morcellators.

Although the FDA has not gone so far as to ban use of power morcellators, most doctors and hospitals are shying away from using these medical devices in women’s surgical procedures.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The morcellation cancer attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, morcellator cancer lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


Get Help – It’s Free

Join a Free Morcellation Cancer Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with cancer in the uterus, pelvis or abdomen within two years of undergoing surgery for a myomectomy (removal of fibroids), hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), or salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tubes), you may have a legal claim. See if you qualify by filling out the short form below.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.