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CLINICAL OUTLOOK
PillCam: An Update on Insurance Coverage By Lindsay Spencer NFCA Intern In the last newsletter a new product called the PillCam was highlighted, describing how it provides a safe, pain-free alternative to endoscopies. It is a huge innovation and a brings new hope for more accurately diagnosing Celiac Disease. The one problem with it was that insurance companies did not cover the procedure for Celiac Disease-related symptoms. But now, two insurance companies have stepped up and acknowledged the disease. United Health Care, one of the top health care providers in the United States, has expanded its coverage to include the small bowel PillCam and its usage for Celiac Patients or patients with possible Celiac Disease. TrailBlazer Health Enterprises, a health care provider that covers patients in the states of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia has also done the same: adding the small Bowel PillCam usage for Celiac and Crohn’s Disease and the esophagus PillCam for patients with portal hypertension. Between United and TrailBlazer they cover more than 22 million people in the United States. This will greatly help part of the more than 1 million people who have Celiac Disease yet are undiagnosed in the United States. This is big news for Celiac Disease. Before now, there have not been any health care providers that have coverage for the Disease. The major complaint insurance companies have is that the disease cannot be fixed by a medication, only by diet. Their problem is proving that the patients they cover would actually adhere to the strict diet. This big step in insurance coverage is the first step to getting more Health Care providers to cover Celiac Disease and the additional costs patients must spend on treatment and food. If you are covered by United Health Care or TrailBlazer Health Enterprises call and make sure your plan includes the new updates in covering Celiac disease diagnosis. If you are covered by a different insurance company, take action and contact your health care provider. The more people asking for coverage the more attention it will get! Let’s keep the forward progress for health care coverage of Celiac Disease moving! |
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Copyright © 2008 National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. All rights reserved. Created by NetReach ®
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