Tourette's Syndrome (CPB 0480, reviewed 2026-07-24)
Aetna considers assessment and treatment of Tourette's syndrome medically necessary when all of the selection criteria are met: multiple motor and at least one vocal tic have been present at some time, tics have persisted for more than 1 year since first onset, onset is before age 18, and the disturbance is not due to a substance or a general medical condition. Covered treatment includes Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), self-administered prescription medications under the pharmacy benefit plan, and psychotherapy when the member also exhibits anxiety or depression. Many interventions are experimental, investigational or unproven for Tourette's syndrome, including adaptive (responsive) deep brain stimulation, bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation, neurofeedback, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, cannabinoids and computerized EEG.