Alternative Medical Treatments: Does Medicare Cover Them
Are You Covered For Alternative Medical Treatments
Medicare is a government health insurance program that helps people get medical care. The program has strict rules and regulations for what it does and doesn’t cover, but one of the most common questions about Medicare coverage is whether or not alternative treatments are covered by this plan. Lindsay Malzone can get you all the necessary info about this, and many more questions!
In general, Medicare doesn’t cover alternative medical treatments. The program covers traditional medicine and procedures that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, etc., but not other treatments like acupuncture or herbal remedies. There are some exceptions to this rule though- specifically if a doctor thinks an alternative treatment will help you get better faster than what is available in standard medicine. They can apply for coverage through a process called “special request,” which requires the patient to sign off on it before anything happens with their account.
Also, Medicare doesn’t cover any alternative treatments that are not clinically proven to be effective for the condition being treated. This is because Medicare has strict rules about what they will and won’t cover, but also more importantly, it’s a matter of money- if an expensive procedure or drug isn’t working as desired, then the government could end up spending too much on something that does nothing.
The only way Medicare will approve any sort of covered treatment from an outside source is if they determine it’s less expensive than providing care at home – so most patients won’t be able to use this as a means of paying for expensive treatment.
Some people might think Medicare is their only option when it comes to insurance, but they’re forgetting about other options like private health care or employer coverage. You can also look into less common types of plans such as Medicaid if you have trouble with the financial side of things.