Is trichology covered by medical insurance?
Is trichology covered by medical insurance?
Most insurance companies do not cover trichology on their policy unless the consultant is General Medical Council registered. It is best to check the small print or contact the supplier to be sure as all policies vary, some do have provision for specialist services.
Providers are most likely to cover treatment when hair loss is caused by an underlying medical issue.
if you’re experiencing hair loss due to chemotherapy and are hoping to buy a wig, you might be able to get reimbursed through health care insurance.
Questions you may ask to check with the insurance company are:
Is there an excess on the policy?
How much insurance cover is available? e.g. set number of treatments or monetary limit.
Is the financial assistance provided for Trichology treatment alone or is it part of an overall sum for specialist services? This is important if a Consultant is involved or if further investigations are being considered.
Is there a time limit for the treatment to take place?
Some GPs and other medical personnel are trained as Trichologists, it may be worth looking for one of these individuals as these practitioners are the most likely to be considered by an insurance company.
Is Alopecia considered to be cosmetic by insurance companies?
Alopecia areata is not considered cosmetic by most major health insurance providers because it’s caused by an autoimmune reaction. However, androgenetic alopecia ( male or female pattern hair loss)- permanent hair loss caused by hypersensitivity to dihydrotestosterone is usually considered cosmetic.
Can I obtain trichology services on the NHS?
Trichology is a branch of dermatology so in some cases trichologists may refer their patients to a dermatologist via a GP for certain conditions Trichologists cannot treat e.g. scarring auto immune hair loss problem or persistent long term stubborn cases of alopecia areata that are not responding to the trichologists treatment.The dermatologist is able to prescribe steroids or a stronger irritant treatment in the case of alopecia areata.
Do I need a GP referral to visit a trichologist?
No you don’t Trichology is available to anybody as a private self referral based service so you can contact a trichologist direct for an appointment. Consultation fees will apply.Trichologists also work with GPs to obtain blood test results should this be necessary.
Does medical insurance cover costs of blood tests?
Unfortunately, most insurance companies will not cover blood work for hair loss. Generally the trichologist is able to work with the patient and their GP to get the tests done with no charge.It is important to note that the results in their entirety should be given to the Trichologist and not just get the ok from the GP because different professions work with different ranges and can interpret the results differently, the GP is looking for base line health where as the Trichologist is looking for optimum hair health. Another reason for the trichologist to be given the whole report is that blood tests can be done with different units of measurement, so whoever is reading them will need to know what this is, rather than just a number.