Many Australians suffer from varicose veins, which are especially common in women as they age. The good news is that many varicose vein treatments are eligible for a Medicare rebate, which typically covers around 75-85% of the varicose vein removal costs. Learn more about paying for varicose vein injections and how to treat varicose veins affordably.
How to Treat Varicose Veins
To understand Medicare coverage of varicose vein removal costs, it’s important to remember there are cosmetic and medical reasons for endovenous laser treatment and other forms of vein removal. While these reasons may often overlap, for Medicare purposes, the treatments must be medically necessary and not simply for cosmetic concerns. The veins need to be 2.5mm in diameter or more. There are several ways to treat veins of this size. However, endovenous laser treatment is the best choice if you want to recoup a large portion of the varicose vein removal costs from Medicare. This is a good thing, as endovenous laser treatment is widely seen as the best option, thanks to new technology combining the power of ultrasound and laser.
Medicare Coverage for Varicose Veins
Although purely cosmetic varicose vein injections are not a covered form of vein removal for Medicare, if you need to have large varicose veins treated for medical reasons, you can use Medicare to cover up to 85% of the costs, depending on how severe your case is. Expect an initial vein consultation to cost around $200-$300, and then varicose vein treatments could cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000 per leg. You can speak to your vein specialists for a detailed breakdown of approximate costs and then claim your Medicare rebate accordingly.
Remember that small spider veins are considered cosmetic, so you will need to pay out-of-pocket for those, but other than that, medical varicose vein treatments should be claimable if you are eligible for Medicare and the safety net threshold has been reached.
Private Health Insurance for Varicose Veins
Sometimes Medicare may not be an option for you, and in that case, you may be wondering if private health cover is a possibility instead. Usually, private health policies only cover hospital treatments, excluding most outpatient varicose vein procedures. If you go to a leading local vein clinic like Vein Care, you’ll benefit from minimally-invasive treatments. Still, because they are performed in a private medical facility, they will only be covered by Medicare, not private health insurance.
When you compare cutting-edge vein therapies with minimal downtime to traditional vein stripping, it’s worth it to visit a vein clinic over a hospital. Even though private health isn’t offered, Medicare will cover a considerable chunk of the costs for medical varicose vein removal, so you can avoid a lengthy recovery time while also keeping treatment costs under control.
Medicare Rebate for Melbourne Vein Removal
Want to know more about Medicare rebates and how to treat varicose veins according to program requirements? Contact Vein Care today to learn more about using Medicare to pay for vein injections and endovenous laser treatment.
