New weapon battles varicose veins

Got varicose veins? A new device called the ClosureFAST Catheter seals off bulging, painful veins in less than 5 minutes (4 times as fast as other methods) with a shorter recovery time, says Prevention magazine. A catheter snakes into the vein and zaps the vessel with a high-frequency radio beam. The magazine says scarring and complications are rare, and patients usually return to work within a day, wearing a pressure wrap for 72 hours. More than 1,000 doctors are using it nationwide. The device is made by VNUS; see the Web site www.vnus.com for locations.

Insurers pressed to pay more for prostheses

Big advances in technology have raised the costs of prosthetic limbs, and that has made them a target for cutbacks in health-care coverage.

Many private health plans cap prosthesis coverage at $2,500 or $5,000 a year, or pay for just one device per limb in a lifetime, sometimes even for a growing child. The most basic devices can cost between $3,000 and $15,000, while mechanically advanced or computer-assisted models can cost up to $40,000.

Now, amputees and prosthetic-device makers are pushing state legislatures around the country to pass laws that mandate prosthesis coverage. The goal is to force private health plans to offer coverage comparable to that provided by Medicare, which pays at least 80 percent of the cost of prostheses and allows regular replacement of artificial limbs. Health insurers oppose such mandates, saying they reduce consumer choice and drive up costs.