J&J Rejects Reimbursement for Faulty Hip Implant

Faulty Articular Surface Replacement (ARS) hip implants manufactured by Johnson & Johnson are coming in for flak globally. However, a patient, who had to undergo a second replacement surgery in Bengaluru after learning about the flawed design of the first implant, was denied reimbursement, all because he raised the claim 10 years after the surgery. N Veera Reddy, 58, underwent the surgery in 2005 at Chennai and endured acute pain due to faulty design of the implant but he couldn’t afford another surgery. Doctors in Chennai didn’t spot the design fault. In 2017, when he came to Bengaluru for a consultation, he learnt about the faulty design and underwent another hip implant.

Veera Reddy immediately raised a claim for compensation. Rejecting the claim, Deputy International Ltd (DePuy), UK, a a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson said in an email to Reddy: “The primary surgery was done on 6 April 2005, which is more than 10 years from now. As per our protocol on ASR Recall Program Reimbursement guidelines, we will not reimburse revision surgery beyond 10 years from the date of primary surgery. Hence your revision surgery expenses are not eligible for reimbursement”. It was sent by Puricrawford, an independent claims processor, appointed by J&J to assist ASR patients.

Veera Reddy’s family is determined to pursue the matter further. “My father-in-law developed pain a couple of year’s post- transplant and became terrible n 2014-15. Doctors said he required another implant. He couldn’t get another transplant due to financial constraints. But we learnt of the faulty design only in 2017. He’s a victim of the faulty design, but the company refused to pay him compensation or bear the cost of the revision surgery. We’ll take the fight forward,” said his Bengaluru-based son-in-law Srikanth Reddy. Veera Reddy, who was as accountant, is currently retired and lives in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh.

When contacted, doctors at People Tree Hospital, Bengaluru where Veera Reddy underwent the second surgery in March 2017 said he suffered from pain while walking because of metallosis, a condition in which metal debris gets deposited on soft tissues of the body due to an increase in cobalt and chromium levels. “The implant used in 2005 led to metal ions interacting with the body causing the complication,” doctors said.

He can contact us: JNJ

Johnson & Johnson Medical India spokesperson said Veera Reddy can contact their helpline, adding that it had initiated a voluntary recall of its ASR hip system and institutionalized a program to fully address costs of recall-related medical care and associated out-of-pocket expenses to support patients. “We are cooperating with the Indian government and expert committee to develop a clear process for providing support and compensation for eligible ASR patients who can register through the Helpline. The program allows for reimbursement of eligible revision surgeries up to 10 years from the date of primary surgery,” the spokesperson said to a TOI query. – TOI