What treatments for rosacea are typically covered by health insurance?

Insurance and rosacea. Difficult to answer as it depends on your cover. In Australia up to 6 laser treatments are partially subsidised by our Medicare system, but lots of fine print (laser not IPL, vessels at 3 meters etc) each policy or country will have their own guidelines, so it is hard to answer that. For most patients I write a letter to the insurance company with as much detail as possible, they will then guide the patient in regards to funding. Rosacea is very complex and a tailored treatment program give the best results. This is because there are many types of rosacea (telengtctatic or capillaries, flushing and redness, acne like rosacea, ocular rosacea and even rhinophyma rosacea.)

To add to the complexity, everyone has different flare factors- Sunlight, stress, foods, chemical irritants, creams, changes in temperature, alcohol. The list goes on. 

A detailed history, together with a treatment tailored according to YOUR type of rosacea will give the best results. As a guide, I use a combination of -

1. Lasers ( to treat redness, broken capillaries, rhinophyma, flushing)- best laser is the V BEAM. IPL can be used, but usually not as effective. Laser toning using the long pulse Nd Yag at 1064 can help with background redness. 

2. Creams - anti inflammatory

3. Tablets -anti - inflammatory and sometimes low dose Vitamin A. 

4. For females- Mineral make up is recommend, over make up that contains parabens. 

For the best results, consult a dermatologist for both medical and laser treatment options. 

Kind regards.

Dr Davin S. Lim.

Laser Dermatologist.

Brisbane, Australia.