The politics of insurance coverage

For people who suffer from severe depression, a small, pacemaker-like device offers hope to live a near-normal life, but most insurance companies won?t cover the $25,000 to $30,000 price tag.

The vagus nerve stimulator delivers a small, periodic electric jolt to the brain through electrodes attached to the vagus nerve in the throat. In clinical trials, it improved the lives of 60 percent of the subjects.