Many people know they need vein treatment, or at least they suspect that they do...but hesitate to move forward out of concern over the cost. The reality is that a vein condition won't go away on its own and gets worse each year that it isn't treated. The good news is that treatments are more affordable than you think and most insurance companies do cover them. The trick is knowing what your options are and how to best manage your healthcare.
Check With Your Insurance Company
Each plan is different, though nearly all insurance plans do cover the procedures. It’s important to be proactive in finding out what your deductible is and how much has been met, as well as what your copay is. It can be difficult to track this information down, and you can do it yourself or we can do it for you.
We have a team of insurance experts who can act as your resource and advocate. They are familiar with different plans and will find the particular requirements of your plan for you. After an evaluation, they will find out what therapy and treatments are approved. We’ll help you know exactly what expenses will be so that you can plan for any deductible amounts and any amounts not covered by insurance.
Options for Payment Plans
The good news is that if you need a payment plan for your treatment, we have that option available. We work with Care Credit, which is a healthcare financing company. It will allow you to get on a payment plan over a time period of 3-6 months. Care Credit makes it extremely easy to apply. They have an online application on their website that only takes 5 minutes to find out if you qualify. If you think this may help you, click on this link, and take 5 minutes to apply online and find out. Many people use this service to pay an insurance deductible or co-insurance balance.
A Compression Stocking Trial Period
Be prepared to plan ahead at least 3 months from the date you have your free screening and initial consultation. Insurance companies are notorious for delaying treatment approval. Frequently, they require a waiting period where you try compression stockings for a period of time - typically anywhere from 30-90 days. We can assist you with getting properly sized stockings to wear, and we’ll stay in touch with you during that time frame. Know that insurance companies do that in part because vein treatment is an elective procedure, and they are counting on the fact that some people will give up and not follow through on treatment. It’s important to be persistent and advocate for your health. They will cover what you need, you just have to know their requirements and plan ahead. Be sure to plan this into your treatment timeline: if you want to be finished with treatments by the end of the year (when most insurance plan’s deductibles roll over, for example) you’ll need to schedule your initial screening in the early summer.
Even if you're not sure when you want to begin treatment, getting the free screening, ultrasound and stocking trial out of the way frees you to start whenever you are ready in the future because the required insurance waiting period will be completed. We see this a lot in patients who have a medical procedure that fulfills their deductible. Once their deductible has been filled, they come back to us to start treatments.
Can You Afford Not To?
The fact is that without treatment of your vein conditions, they will definitely get worse. Your legs will hurt more and the unsightly veins in your legs will become more visible. That is a certainty. Let our insurance team help you find a solution if you are concerned about whether or not you can afford it. They are a great resource for you in finding ways to make treatment fit your budget. In my experience, the only thing patients ever regret is waiting too long to get treatment.
