Varicose veins always have a negative effect on your life. These enlarged and often twisted veins are not only unattractive, they frequently cause painful, debilitating symptoms. Many suffers simply endure this common condition, which most frequently affects the legs, although other areas can also develop dilated veins. If you have varicose veins, you should seek the opinion of an expert vein doctor. These medical professionals can offer you several different varicose vein treatments, including sclerotherapy. This procedure can eliminate the affected veins with minimal discomfort and side effects. But many people wonder if sclerotherapy cost is covered by insurance.
Sclerotherapy is an effective outpatient treatment that works quickly and effectively. In some instances, your health insurance company will pay for the procedure. Before you seek treatment, you do need to understand what sclerotherapy involves and whether your particular insurance policy covers it.
Varicose veins always have a negative effect on your life. These enlarged and often twisted veins are not only unattractive, they frequently cause painful, debilitating symptoms. Many suffers simply endure this common condition, which most frequently affects the legs, although other areas can also develop dilated veins. If you have varicose veins, you should seek the opinion of an expert vein doctor. These medical professionals can offer you several different varicose vein treatments, including sclerotherapy. This procedure can eliminate the affected veins with minimal discomfort and side effects. But many people wonder if sclerotherapy cost is covered by insurance.
Sclerotherapy is an effective outpatient treatment that works quickly and effectively. In some instances, your health insurance company will pay for the procedure. Before you seek treatment, you do need to understand what sclerotherapy involves and whether your particular insurance policy covers it.
What are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins?
For some people, varicose veins are an annoying cosmetic issue. These large red and purple veins are difficult to hide and cause some sufferers to keep their legs covered at all times. They can affect your self-esteem by making you uncomfortable about your appearance. Some patients with varicose veins will also suffer from physical symptoms, including pain, swelling, itching, bleeding, muscle cramping, and “heavy legs.”
For some sufferers, the problem goes beyond varicose veins. They may have chronic venous disease, a condition that causes subtle symptoms that may slowly worsen. Often, suffers fail to notice their condition until it has become advanced and results in symptoms such as serious pain, leg ulcers and thickening skin on legs and/or ankles. Determining the cause of vein issues requires consulting an experienced vein doctor.
What is Sclerotherapy?
While multiple varicose vein treatments exist, sclerotherapy is one of the less invasive and most successful ones. During sclerotherapy, your vein expert will inject an “sclerosing agent,” or chemical, into your varicose veins. The choice of chemical sometimes depends on the size of the veins to be treated. These chemicals cause the inner lining of your varicose veins to produce clots. When these clots are absorbed by your body, the varicose vein is destroyed. The process is safe and requires no anesthesia. Recovery is fast and side effects are minimal. You should see results in just a few weeks.
What are the Causes of Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins can be caused by age, pregnancy and any medical condition that places strain on the legs. While men also get varicose veins, women are more at risk of developing this affliction. Age, family history, weight and occupation also contribute to developing vein disease.
When the valves in your veins fail to close properly, they can let blood, which should be traveling to your heart, fall back into the vein. This blood pools and results in large and unsightly veins. For some people, these weakened valves indicate chronic vein disease, which needs to be treated as it can indicate other health issues.
Will Insurance Cover Sclerotherapy?
The answer to this question is yes and no. When the patient seeks sclerotherapy for cosmetic reasons only, insurance companies generally will not pay for the procedure. In the insurance industry, the standard is “medical necessity.” That’s why your health care policy will not cover face lifts, breast enlargements and other purely cosmetic procedures.
If your varicose veins are causing physical symptoms, your insurance company will likely cover the expense, particularly when your doctor recommends the sclerotherapy to correct physical problems such as leg swelling, restlessness, heaviness, and pain. In some instances your insurance may require you to first try methods such as medication or compression stockings before approving sclerotherapy as vein treatment. The procedure may also be covered for those with underlying venous disease, even if the symptoms are minor. Those with underlying venous disease and no symptoms whatsoever will not be covered. Because these issues can be complicated, you should discuss this with the staff at a vein treatment clinic.
Vein doctors can always perform the procedure for purely cosmetic reasons, but you will need to pay for the varicose vein treatment yourself. Fortunately, sclerotherapy is affordable for many patients who just want their ugly veins eliminated.
Where Do I Get Treatment?
When it comes to varicose veins or vein diseases, you should always seek the opinion of an expert vein doctor. Some other doctors, such as dermatologists, offer cosmetic treatments, but a vein doctor can identify the cause of your problem. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of vein disease will help ensure an excellent treatment result.
Spider and Varicose Vein Treatment Center
At the Vein Treatment Center, you will receive medical attention from highly trained vein doctors. Located all across the nation, these clinics use the latest technology and medical knowledge in their varicose vein treatments. Their medical directors attended Harvard Medical School and are in charge of quality control in all Vein Treatment Center locations. Each of their vein doctors are Board Certified and known for their expertise in the field.
For more information on sclerotherapy and other varicose vein treatments, visit the Vein Treatment Center website. You no longer have to live with unsightly and painful varicose veins. Let Vein Treatment Center vein doctors help!
