Many health plans cover this surgery if the person meets all requirements. For example, you must be able to document that you have seriously tried to lose weight multiple times through more conventional methods without lasting results. If you have an HMO or POS insurance plan, your insurance company will require a six month trial of medically supervised weight loss attempts before you can begin the screening for bariatric surgery or make an appointment with a surgeon.

Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, and other PPO insurance companies usually cover varicose vein treatments (including laser closure of the saphenous vein and microphlebectomy), but each has a different pre-approval process, and each has a different reimbursement policy. I have chosen to contract with several PPOs (including Medicare), so my professional fee reimbursement follows their contractual obligations.

All the major health insurers (BUPA; PPP; Norwich Union; WPA; Standard Life) will cover EVLT treatment

In some older patients when the eyelid skin blocks the vision, some insurance plans will cover the surgery. Most of these operations are cosmetic and are not covered by insurance.

The initial consultation and office visit are usually covered by insurance, although we ask that you pay the small consultation fee at the time of your visit. Treatment of large varicose veins is covered by Medicare and most other insurance plans when the patient has discomfort, pain, clots, ulceration, or other symptoms. Patients are responsible for co-payments, deductibles, and other amounts not covered by their insurance. Patient "out of pocket" expense varies by policy.

It depends on your Insurance policy. Very few insurance companies provide coverage for vein problems. Spider veins injections are generally considered cosmetic. We suggest you fax us a copy of the pages in your Insurance policy booklet that pertain to the care of vein disease (fax: 919.844.2011). If you do this before your appointment, we can look into this and have some answers for you at your consultation.

About 50% of insurance plans will cover the LAP-BAND® System procedure with a Letter of Medical Necessity from our surgeon. However, you should check with your health plan beforehand to find out if you are covered. Please read detailed information on the insurance coverage process under "Insurance Information".

Most insurance companies offer coverage for physical therapy services. However, the amount of coverage varies from policy to policy, so be sure to check your insurance company's handbook or call your insurance company to verify your benefits for physical therapy. You may have co-pay per visit, or be responsible for meeting a deductible. Once a deductible is met, insurance typically pays 70-100% of charges and you are responsible for the difference.

There's a tug-of-war going on between some insurance companies and hospitals with BMT patients caught in the middle. On the one hand, hospitals are striving to provide the most effective, state of the art health care for their patients. On the other hand, insurance companies are fighting to contain escalating health care costs. The patients are simply fighting to stay alive.

I can only make a general statement about insurance coverage for Gleevec because each Insurance Company, HMO, etc. has different criteria to determine coverage. Generally, if your Insurance Company pays for prescription drugs and the drug is approved by the F.D.A. for treatment of your disease, they will pay for the drug less any "co-pays" which are included in your policy. Also, Insurance Companies usually cover drugs which are not specifically approved by the F.D.

You will have to check with your insurance carrier to make sure. Coverage varies with each plan, even with the same insurer.

No! You or your insurance will not be billed or charged for any service you receive pertaining to participation in this research study. However, once your participation in the study ends, or if you seek any treatment outside the study, your insurance provider will be billed by those service providers. These issues are detailed in the consent forms which our staff go over in detail before you enter each study.

In order to verify if your insurance will pay for physical therapy services, please call the member services number listed on the back of your insurance card. When you speak with your insurance company, be sure to inquire about the number of visits you are eligible for and what your out of pocket expense will be.

Members on personal leave without pay may continue coverage for up to 12 months subject to the member's payment of 100% of the premium which includes the University's contribution.

Payment and coverage of MRgFUS will vary from health plan to health plan. MRgFUS is a recently introduced new technology for treatment of uterine fibroids and received FDA approval in October, 2004. Because this treatment option is relatively new, few insurance companies reimburse for this as part of their routine treatment options. It will be necessary for you to contact your health plan to verify whether it is a covered benefit under your plan policy.