What treatments for rosacea are typically covered by health insurance?

Question

I have rosacea and currently use tretinoin which seems to assist with helping to prevent pimple break-outs. I 'was' able to get this covered through my insurance. Are lasers or botox ever covered for rosacea? I get very red with a burning sensation and have tried all the other creams out there, but none have helped.

Melvin Elson, MD · Answer

It is not predictable as to what an insurance will cover for anything. Tretinoin is not a good treatment for rosacea and Botox does not help.Mirvaso for the vessels and metrogel for the breakouts will usually help

Brian Raphael, MD · Answer

In the US laser treatment is not usually covered by insurance since it is considered cosmetic in nature.  However, there are topical medications (metrogel and others) and pills (antibiotics) you can take that are often covered depending on the type of insurance you have.

Vicki J. Levine, MD · Answer

Low dose antibiotics and other creams,such as Soolantra,Azelaic acid, Rhofade should be covered.Metrogel should also be

Davin Lim, MBBS, FACD - Account Suspended · Answer

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.

What treatments for rosacea are typically covered by health insurance?

Answers (4)