INSURANCE COVERS VEIN TREATMENT and it should cover yours too!
Do you suffer from painful, swollen or achy legs caused by varicose veins?
Are you tired of missing out on activities you love because they cause your legs to swell and hurt?
Are you embarrassed by the way your legs look?
Many people believe varicose veins are cosmetic issues only, and don’t understand the suffering people with varicose veins deal with. Varicose veins represent a serious medical condition that threatens your circulatory health.
"Vein disease is one of the most common causes of leg pain, swelling, and wounds. For these reasons, a visit with a specialist to evaluate your problem, a venous ultrasound, and vein treatments are covered by insurance as long as they’re deemed medically necessary. It's so frustrating hearing my patients went years without even knowing that their varicose veins were a serious medical condition that could qualify for insurance coverage. I’ve learned a lot after 12 years of helping our patients get their vein treatments paid for by their insurance company. Now, I am going to share with you the secret criteria insurance companies use to determine whether your treatments will be covered."
-Dr. Tif Siragusa, MD, FACS
IN NETWORK INSURANCES ACCEPTED
5 secrets to get YOUR vein treatments paid for by insurance
#1 Symptoms: Pain, swelling, heaviness, etc.
The first step towards getting your insurance company to cover your procedures is coming in for a New Patient Consultation with our team. Most of the patients we take care of suffer from some combination of leg pain, leg swelling, leg heaviness, dark skin patches, or even venous ulcers. These issues are more than just cosmetic and often have an impact on your ability to carry out typical daily activities. These activities include things such as completing your shift at work, the ability to exercise, running errands, doing housework and caring for children. Your insurance is more likely to cover your treatments if they know that your vein problems interfere with your ability to carry out any of the above mentioned activities.
#2 Ultrasound: Your venous ultrasound must show reflux!
In order to determine your personalized treatment plan, one of our specially trained Registered Vascular Sonographers will perform a complete ultrasound of the veins in your legs. This test looks for venous reflux (blood moving backwards in your veins). The insurance companies have very strict criteria regarding what your ultrasound shows. Fortunately, all of our certified sonographers are very familiar with these criteria, therefore, know exactly which details to include in your report. This report will then be closely reviewed by your insurance company. At this point, they will know that you meet their criteria for the ultrasound findings, as well for your symptoms.
#3 Conservative Treatment: the secret sauce
Once your ultrasound is completed, we will discuss the “Conservative Therapy”. Each insurance company, including Medicare, has their own set of guidelines you need to follow to get your procedures approved. This typically consists of wearing compression socks, elevating your legs, exercising, and resting when possible. Some insurance companies have additional requirements such as taking medications to improve circulation. At Siragusa Vein and Laser we are very familiar with all of the companies’ policies and will make sure we prescribe the correct conservative therapy for you based on your insurance company’s guidelines.
#4 Insurance Specialist for vein procedures
Once we have determined you have significant symptoms, performed an ultrasound, and completed your conservative therapy, the final step is to submit your case to your insurance company. This can be a very tedious process with many important details that the insurance specialist MUST be familiar with. Leaving out one small piece of information could mean the difference between having your procedures covered and paying out of pocket for everything. At Siragusa Vein and Laser, our insurance specialist, Beth, has years of experience in navigating through the insurance jungle and coming out on the other side with an approval for your procedures. You can rest easy knowing that we have an expert to help you through each of these steps and that your legs are in very good hands. Once Beth gets your procedures approved, she will give you a call to schedule your first procedure and discuss any out-of-pocket expenses you may incur.
#5 A board-certified Vein Specialist
Siragusa Vein and Laser is very proud of our board-certified vascular surgeon, and vein expert, Dr. Tif Siragusa who was voted Nashville's top vein doctor two years in a row. Dr. Siragusa has more than 13 years of experience and has taught his techniques to physicians from around the country. He prides himself on personally developing each patient’s treatment plan to ensure every patient has the best results possible. Your personalized treatment will get you back to being able to do the things you love and love the way your legs look.