ICD-10 M54.14 is officially defined as "Radiculopathy, thoracic region." code M54.14 is referenced in 2 tracked payer policy changes from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi and Aetna. For billers and coders, staying current on payer-specific coverage criteria, reimbursement rules, and prior-authorization requirements for code M54.14 is critical to clean claim submission. Each entry below links to the full policy analysis with effective dates and action steps.
Epidural steroid injections may be considered medically necessary as treatment of cervical or lumbar radiculopathy. Reimbursement is limited to a series of three injections in a calendar year at any one level under any and all circumstances. The policy was reviewed on 01/14/2026 with its policy statements unchanged, and ICD-9 procedure and diagnosis codes were removed from the code reference.
This is Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin 0649, reviewed October 2, 2025 and first found by PolicyChanges in August 2026, so it is historical material and the current version should be confirmed before acting. Aetna covers extracorporeal shock-wave therapy only for calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder with a calcium deposit of at least 1 cm lasting 6 months or more after conservative care has failed, and lists dozens of other musculoskeletal, wound and medical uses as experimental, investigational or unproven.
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