Allergy Immunotherapy - Sublingual Immunotherapy
DESCRIPTION
Sublingual immunotherapy involves the administration of antigen drops under the tongue. The antigen drops are administered in gradually increasing doses in an effort to build up individual tolerance to the allergy-causing substance.
POLICY
Sublingual immunotherapy for the treatment of allergies is considered investigational.
See also: General Policy for Allergy Testing and Treatment
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There is a lack of published data comparing the health outcomes of sublingual immunotherapy with current standards of practice or to permit conclusion on the outcomes of this therapy.
SOURCES
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, (2001, January). Immunotherapy. Retrieved March 17, 2006 from http://www.aaaai.org/aadmc/ate/category.asp?cat=1079&s=70&keywords=.
BlueCross BlueShield Association. Medical Policy Reference Manual. (4:2008). Allergy immunotherapy (2.01.17). Retrieved March 5, 2009 from BlueWeb.
Complete Guide to Medicare Coverage Issues [Compu0ter software]. (2008, November). Antigens prepared for sublingual administration (NCD 110.9, p. 2-53). The Ingenix Complete Guide to Medicare Coverage Issues.
National Guideline Clearinghouse. (2008, June). Allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma. Retrieved March 9, 2009 from http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=12177&nbr=006274&string=sublingual+AND+immunotherapy.
The Technology Evaluation Center. (2003, June). Sublingual immunotherapy for adults (Vol. 18, No. 4). Chicago: BlueCross BlueShield Association.
Wilson D, Torres-Lima M, Durham S. Sublingual immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2003, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD002893. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002893.
ORIGINAL EFFECTIVE DATE: 10/12/1998
MOST RECENT REVIEW DATE: 5/14/2009
ID_BA
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