All PlansCoverageMedium impact
Irreversible Electroporation
Regence BlueShield·Oncology, General Surgery, Urology +2 more·Coding
Effective date
Jan 1, 2026
We identified it
Jun 17, 2026
Summary
Irreversible electroporation (IRE) for treatment of solid tumors including liver, pancreas, kidney, lung, or prostate is considered investigational and not covered. This policy establishes that IRE procedures will be denied as experimental treatment.
Action Required
Before January 1, 2026: Billing team must update system to flag irreversible electroporation procedures as non-covered investigational treatment. Providers must inform patients they will be financially responsible for IRE procedure costs. Add alerts to billing system for tumor ablation procedures to verify covered alternatives like RFA, cryosurgical ablation, or microwave ablation are used instead.