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Sometimes the collaboration between insurance companies and medical clinics is much more profitable for their businesses than for a patient, insurance for testosterone therapy is no exception. Hormone replacement therapy is a multistep treatment process that requires a list of medications, a certain schedule, and a number of additional meds.
So let’s review the pitfalls concerning TRT therapy insurance that you should consider before attending a clinic and starting the treatment.
Key Aspects of Healthcare Insurance to Consider
Age-related hypogonadism is tough to identify as an official diagnosis because its symptoms are often unclassified. The diagnostic results show low testosterone levels and they don’t match the scores of the quantitative ADAM questionnaire, so this may be a confusing situation for an insurance company.
Most healthcare insurance providers pay their clients twice a week. However, this goes against the testosterone replacement therapy schedule since the half-life value of testosterone consists of 8 days.
Blue Cross, Blue Shield companies often cut insurance payouts for hormone replacement therapy for their profit, and this can be a kind of frustration for patients that need the treatment.
The 350 ng/dl hormone dosage is usually covered by insurance but it doesn’t resolve the problem of hormone hunger which was the initial reason for a patient to visit a doctor. Patients are looking for specific insurance plans to completely cover healthcare expenses and save their costs.
Testosterone injections covered by insurance are typically required when a patient has undergone the tests and got the diagnostic results showing a decreased level of testosterone which should be replaced.
The good news is that a patient is able to visit the thyroid specialist and undergo medical tests free of charge based on their insurance plans.
What effects should you expect from Testosterone Replacement Therapy?
If the diagnostic results show you’ve got no precautions for TRT, you can start the treatment under the control of a qualified physician and just expect the positive results for your health to appear in the shortest terms. Possible health benefits you are going to get are as follows:
- increased sex drive; improved quality of sexual life in general;
- recovery from vegetovascular disorders or the decrease of their symptoms;
- symptomatic relief of mental disorders;
- better bone density and less risk of fractures (in case of 1 year of treatment or more);
- increased muscle mass;
- better hemoglobin and a greater number of red blood cells discovered during the clinical evaluation;
- decreased cholesterol.
Typically, the term of treatment is prescribed individually based on the diagnostic results of a certain patient. Despite the term hormone replacement therapy, it is highly recommended to visit a physician and undergo medical tests on a regular basis.
You can learn more about what to expect from testosterone replacement therapy here.
Giving up unhealthy habits will be a good idea for those who want to change their lifestyle choices for the better. A complex approach usually gives the best possible results mostly expected by a patient.
Does insurance cover additional meds?
The answer is “No”! Most recognized clinics aren’t satisfied with the terms of insurance for testosterone therapy because they don’t match the treatment plan for dosages and medications required for the therapy to take effect. If you want to get the best possible results, all doctor’s prescriptions should be properly followed, otherwise, all expenses are useless.
The good news is that testosterone is quite affordable by price (except for gels which are a bit more expensive). The bad news is that additional medications required for TRT injections aren’t supposed to be covered by insurance.
The additional meds include such as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) and an aromatase inhibitor. Their use is compulsory for providing therapy if a patient wants to avoid possible side effects.
The reasons you should use Gonadotropin and aromatase inhibitor for TRT are as follows:
- If a human body receives hormones externally it stops producing them on its own. The same thing happened with Vitamin C that our ancestors received from tropical fruits.
- When a patient takes TRT, the hypophysis gets the announcement that levels of Luteinizing hormone are enough for proper functioning, so the hormone stops being produced.
- As a result, testicles get the signal from the brain to stop functioning since their work is not currently required, so, the scrotum becomes smaller as well.
- To avoid the mentioned above side effects, a physician prescribes Human Chorionic Gonadotropin which is aimed to enable the functioning of testicles and stop them from transforming into “dried currant”.
If you need to get the best possible effect from testosterone replacement therapy, you should follow the prescriptions even if some additional costs are required. The proper approach is going to save you from unwanted side effects as well as bring you the desired results for your health.
Final Thoughts:
The medications for TRT covered by insurance should be used only if they match the prescriptions of a doctor. The insurance company plan covers doctor visits, medical tests, and specific doses of testosterone, but additional expenses are required for additional meds and proper results.
The first diagnostics to undergo before the TRT starts supposes the specific screening that gives an insight into your testosterone levels, identifies the number of red blood cells as well as shows the liver and prostatic gland condition.
PSA (prostate-specific antigen) should be monitored every 3 months during the first year after the treatment, and in a year it should be tested every 6 months.
When it comes to your hormone replacement therapy, following the proper recommendations of a qualified physician is going to ensure you succeed in preventing harmful age-related disorders.
You can apply for a free consultation right away just by filling out this contact form to get in touch with our qualified expert.
Dr. Mill has over thirty years of experience working as a thyroid specialist and hormone expert in a US clinic. He is passionate about developing his knowledge and confirming his practice.