Vein issues don’t discriminate. Regardless of your age, race, creed, or religion, the fact of the matter is that over one-third of Americans suffer from venous insufficiencies, such as varicose veins and spider veins. Despite that high number, a large percentage of those suffering don’t seek treatment.

Though there could be several reasons a person doesn’t treat their vein issues, a common roadblock that many have is because of issues with payment and insurance. Two of the most common questions we hear at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center are “how much does vein treatment cost?” and “do you take insurance?”

We want to ensure everyone who comes into our Rogers, Arkansas clinic is informed about their options. So today, we’ll discuss insurance and payment options for treatments here at Ozark Vein. Besides providing excellent care for your vein issues, we want to help you understand the insurance process so there aren’t any surprises during your treatment process.

Cosmetic Vs. Medical Treatment

When you call for an appointment at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center, we’re going to ask you a series of questions that’ll determine what your specific needs are. Your vein treatment will fall into one of two categories: cosmetic treatment or medical treatment.

Symptoms such as pain, fatigue, swelling, restless legs and other issues will fall under the category of medical treatments. These are symptoms that accompany vein issues such as varicose veins or venous reflux. Spider veins, on the other hand, are classified as a cosmetic issue. This is because spider veins, while possibly unsightly, usually aren’t painful and don’t cause any medical problems by themselves.

In terms of insurance, the difference between cosmetic treatments and medical treatments is that insurance won’t cover cosmetic treatments. This is because cosmetic treatments are considered optional and not essential for the everyday functions of life. In terms of medical treatments for vein issues, there are different classifications for insurance.

The classification goes on a scale of one to six. If you have a classification of “one,” it means that there’s nothing visually wrong with you and that insurance companies likely won’t cover you for treatment. On the other hand, “six” is the most extreme classification. A six classification means that you have an open venous stasis ulcer, which is the most severe issue that we treat.

As you can see, whether your treatment is covered (and ultimately how much you pay) depends on whether your vein issue is cosmetic or medical, and what classification that medical issue falls under.

Evaluation

Each person is different and each vein disease progression is different, so the staff at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center will perform an evaluation to determine your classification and what treatment is right for you.

Before you even come in, it’s important to note that you have an option for a free vein screening tool via our website. Just simply fill out the form, note your symptoms, and attach a photo of your concern areas and a specialist will reach out to you within 24 hours. We also offer a free in-person vein screening as well, which will include a 15- 20 minute ultrasound scan.

The reason we use an ultrasound scan is that vein issues aren’t always surface level, meaning we can’t always tell from just looking whether a person has vein disease. Even if someone doesn’t have bulging veins, you may still have serious issues. Ultrasound technology allows us to look past the surface level in order to get a more clear diagnosis.

Besides our free vein screening, we also have a more comprehensive evaluation that lasts roughly an hour and a half. During this evaluation, our staff looks at every single branch of your veins to determine which treatments will work best for which areas. Dr. Haney or one of our Nurse Practitioners will be a part of this evaluation and will work with the Ultrasound techs to determine the best course of action.

Prior Authorization

We highly value honesty and transparency here at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center. That’s why we’ll provide the estimated costs before we begin any actual treatment. Our in-house insurance specialist, Renee Skinner, will talk to you about all of your options regarding insurance and payment.

Some insurances require prior authorization before treatment, which means they’re looking for criteria to meet medical necessity for vein treatment. This goes back to what we were talking about earlier with classifications; that you must reach a certain classification before they can cover you.

Because prior authorizations can have vastly varying timelines for approval, it can cause frustration among some patients. The timeline for approval on prior authorization can range anywhere from a few days to a few months.

On top of that, there’s the issue of conservative measures. Conservative measures are the steps that patients take outside of our office in order to improve their vein conditions. Some of these include a healthy diet, exercise, leg elevation, and more.

Some insurances require three months of conservative treatment before pre-authorization. So keep in mind it could be a timeline of six months from reaching out for treatment until insurance approves that treatment. Some insurance providers also require patients to wear compression stockings prior to their evaluation.

Make sure that you’re aware of any requirements from your insurance company and that you follow these requirements in order to best help yourself during this process.

Paying for Treatment

Ultimately, how much you end up paying depends on a few different things. If you do have insurance, your type of insurance and the classification of your medical treatment will play a factor.

Insurance

We accept the following insurance companies:

Medicare
Medicaid (Arkansas only)
Aetna
Ambetter
Anthem BCBS
BCBS Blue Card PPO
Blue Advantage
Cigna
Coresource
Coventry Health Care
Health Advantage
Health Choice
Humana
Medpartners
Multiplan
Qualchoice
Tricare
UMR
United Health Care

If we find venous reflux with varicose veins during your evaluation, that is considered a significant issue by most insurance companies. This means that they’ll almost always cover treatment outside of your deductible and copays.

Speaking of copays, it’s important to note that because Dr. Haney is a specialist, you’ll have specialist copays when seeking treatment from Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center. You’ll also have diagnostic ultrasounds and procedures done in the office if you choose to take the next steps beyond a free screening.

Insurance may classify these procedures as surgical, but they’re actually done in-office. We assure you that surgeons aren’t involved with your care at Ozark Vein, and that you’ll be awake and conscious during each procedure and treatment we perform.

Though it’s rare that we aren’t in-network for someone’s insurance company, we always stress the fact that it’s important to know your insurance. That means know who your provider is and try to know as much as possible about your coverage beforehand to make the process smoother.

Self-Pay

Self-pay is an option, and our staff is happy to help you navigate any out-of-pocket costs. For self-pay, we determine pricing on a per leg and per treatment basis. If you can’t pay for the cost of your care up front, we also offer financing options, which include Care Credit and Compassionate Finance.

If you choose to finance your treatment, we can guide you through the steps to apply either in-office or over the phone for low monthly payment options.

What to Do if You’re Considering Treatment

To begin the vein treatment process, the staff at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center will determine both the type of vein issue and the severity. Though we offer treatments for both medical and cosmetic issues, only medical treatments are covered by insurance. Even then, you must reach a certain severity before insurance will cover you.

If you’re considering treatment for your vein issues, we recommend beginning preparation at least six months in advance. This is just in case your insurance company gives you an extended wait time for your prior authorization, as well as any requirements for conservative measures before treatment.

We also want to stress that we make every recommendation for care with your best interests in mind. The staff at Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center will not over-treat you based on what type of insurance you have. We make all recommendations based on what we believe to be the best care for your individual needs. And if your insurance doesn’t cover treatment, we also offer self-pay and financing options for our patients.

Learn More About Vein Treatments and Insurance

Ozark Regional Vein & Artery Center is the only practice in Northwest Arkansas that provides all the highest quality vein treatments available, and we focus only on vein treatment. Dr. Haney and our expert staff have over 75 years of combined experience in the industry, ensuring you get the best leg vein procedures available in Rogers.

Helping people is what we do, and we welcome you to contact us if you have questions about vein issues and insurance. No matter your issue, we can guide you toward a solution that will ease your discomfort. With our world-class vein care and focus on patient education, you’ll achieve actual results every time.

Get started today by using our Instant Vein & Artery Screening Quiz or scheduling a consultation.

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A Guide to Insurance and Payment For Vein Treatment in Rogers, Arkansas