The Dreaded Deductible
At the beginning of every year, the nightmare of the dreaded insurance deductible starts over for most of our clients at Genesis Laser and Vein. The deductible is the dollar amount your insurance won’t pay, and that you, as a patient, are responsible for before your insurance starts paying its portion. In my experience with insurance and healthcare, this deductible has been on a steady incline for the last 15 years, right along with the cost of everything else around us. But I can tell you, as a wife and mother of six girls, meeting that deductible early in the year frees up the worry and dread of those healthcare costs throughout the rest of the year. It is no fun to procrastinate and put off the medical appointments and treatments for myself and my family until November or December, when that deductible is finally met. Those months are a time to focus on holidays and family, not squeezing in all the doctors’ appointments and procedures we put off all year. The way I see it, that deductible money is coming out of my pocket sometime this year, so why not hit it head-on?
I have worked as a vein care nurse for 15 years. I can tell you that vein treatments are unlike having a knee or shoulder fixed, where you go in for one extensive procedure and a few follow-up appointments. Vein treatments are a process that takes several months’ worth of small treatments to treat the bad veins that have developed over many years. Waiting to start vein treatments in November or December does not give Dr. Prasad and our staff at Genesis Laser and Vein the amount of time needed before the end of the year to adequately treat your current vein disease.
Every year I hear the same thing from many of our clients. In the first half of the year, patients tell me they have a new deductible, so they only want to schedule vein treatments once they have whittled down a chunk of that deductible. When they come in the spring, they may have the deductible well on its way to being met, but insurance companies often require a six-week to three-month conservative treatment trial, including compression hose. By then, it’s vacation season, and they don’t want to wear compression hose when it’s hot! Most patients finally make it back in during the fall. However, that is the busiest time of year for a vein clinic. Medical providers only have so many appointments before the year’s end. Remember, it took a lifetime to develop bad veins, so it will take several months to get those veins under control. Don’t procrastinate.
To make this initial cost easier we offer CareCredit , which can spread your deductible payments out over six to twelve months. It is offered as “same as cash” with no interest if paid within six to twelve months. This way, you can continue with treatment and pay off the deductible over a longer period of time instead of all at once. At Genesis Laser and Vein, having your consult or visit early in the year will allow you to meet your conservative management trial if your insurance requires it, submit for authorization, and proceed with treatment before the end of the year. Start now and wrap up that initial treatment plan in 2023. While you’re at it, throw in those other healthcare items on your wish list this year while your deductible is met. Make 2023 the year you take care of you!
