insurance and alternative therapies

[MeganAnne]

Hi!

After trying Elmiron (with too much hair loss to be okay with!) I'd like to try cystoprotek or alganot. I have Blue Shield of California insurance. Does anyone know if insurance companies are willing to help pay for alternative medications? They paid a great deal of the Elmiron costs, which I am grateful for, though I'm not sure they will pitch in for alternative therapies.

Had anyone had success with their insurance company paying a portion of alternative therapies?

Thanks so much!

[sandi303]

MeganAnne, I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma thru my work. They have refused to pay anything that's not prescribed by a doctor. My dr isn't big on alternative remedies, so he won't "prescribe" cystoprotek. I know there's a lot of different plans with Blue Cross Blue Shield, so I don't know if it's just that way with our plan, or if that's the way all their plans are....

[ICNDonna]

I don't know of any insurance company who will cover over-the-counter remedies, whether or not they are ordered by a physician.

Donna

[colourmetwice]

Call them up and ask!
You can find out all sorts of oddities by doing that.
For instance: I found out that my old plan wouldn't cover birth control but it would cover an abortion! Craziness! (That, by the way, is far too common among health plans).
I know there are some out there that will cover things like acupuncture and massage and such.
Google it!

[bridget29]

i had medicaid they have taken me off assistance because i got married my husband well lets sat we are poverty level with three childrenhe is the only one working i just had a hydro done last month and received many meds i can not afford to refill anyway what does someone do when they have know insurance coverage in the state takes them off assistance i have know bills to argue with them to keep me on because i was on medacaid so they said i dont have enough bills to keep me on assistance what do i do as far as treatment where do i go since hurricane katrina (charity hospital is closed state hospital for people without insurance)