Anyone with the chronic skin condition called “Psoriasis”
knows how uncomfortable, painful, and embarrassing it can be. To make matters
worse, research indicates that it may be hereditary, yet the exact cause of the
disease is unclear…
Speaking of “unclear”, as patients search for treatments
to clear up their Psoriasis, the rules seem to keep changing when it comes to
insurance coverage.
No one really fully understands how we got to this point, with
insurance providers and the whole insurance controversy, but it’s as painful as
Psoriasis.
If you go way back in time, you know “pre-Google”, the
“problem with insurance” starts with the federal government in my
humble opinion. You see, when American politicians unleashed the so-called,
“New Deal” engineered by FDR, medical care and bureaucrats began to
meet in the middle…
The creation of Medicare and Medicaid got the ball rolling, as
reimbursement was tied to what “government programs” would “pay
for”. Hospitals felt the pains as they had to juggle charges to offset
those “covered” by the new “insurance” programs. Soon
thereafter (again, we are talking before cell phones, cable TV, and Lady Gaga),
insurance companies jumped on the bandwagon and somehow, health care insurance became part of an employee’s compensation package. Do your own research if you want specifics, but what we have now is the result of decades of
“health” mismanagement, not “care”…
So flash forward to 2011 and your Psoriasis treatment. Well, the
insurance “providers” are now scrambling from the after-shocks of
“Obama-Care”, and employers are cutting everything from staples to
salary, while increasing “co-pays” for those that still have a job..
If you have Psoriasis, you already know the game. Depending on
your coverage, you may have to jump through hoops to have a treatment approved. It varies from company to company, and health insurance in 2011 is as uncertain as is the political climate.
Recently, according to a leader at the National Psoriasis
Foundation, a major health insurer made it a little easier for those suffering
from the disease;
“On October 1. Regence BlueCross BlueShield removed criteria
requiring people with psoriatic disease to go through “steps” with
other treatments before two particular medications were covered.” Dan Farrington Chair, National Psoriasis
Foundation Board of Trustees
Good news I guess, but what about all the “steps” a
patient has to endure to have alternative treatments, other than
“medications”. Phototherapy, or “light therapy” has been
proven to be safe and effective for treating Psoriasis. When will those
“steps” be eliminated? Today, if you don’t want drugs or injections
and are concerned about the side-effects that are listed on package inserts of
most all Psoriasis prescriptions, good luck…
First you have to find a physician that offers
“phototherapy”, than you have to take treatments for a period of time
(usually 3 months), complete a “letter of medical necessity”, and
wait.
Wait for what you say, well Phototherapy is so safe, that patients
can have a “home unit” prescribed by their physician. Most
Dermatologists are well aware of the benefits of treating Psoriasis, Eczema,
and Vitiligo with the medical grade “lamps” used in a Phototherapy
system. It’s the Insurance company you might have trouble with, compliments of
our dysfunctional health care and governmental institutions.
Educate yourself on Psoriasis and how you can “clear up”
your skin, and the mess America has created regarding insurance
“reimbursement”. It is the age of the “empowered consumer”,
so arm yourself with knowledge and protect your own “skin”. I would’nt count on any politican or insurance company to look out for me or my Psoriasis…
UVBioTek 