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New Insurance Tools Help Many
(January 2005) If you suffer from excessive sweating, or are a physician who treats patients with hyperhidrosis, the International Hyperhidrosis Society is now making available two forms, and a "Letter of Medical Necessity" that you'll find useful. The documents can come in handy when you're working with U.S. health insurance organizations to obtain coverage or reimbursement for necessary hyperhidrosis treatments. If you're a patient, you can help your doctor by printing the forms out and taking them to your next appointment. The forms and letters can be found on our Web site, www.SweatHelp.org, or by following the links in this article.
Each form should be completed and submitted to the appropriate health insurance organization by a treating physician. For physicians' convenience, the required medical coding is supplied on the forms. There is also space on the forms for physicians to add their practice information, such as address and telephone number.
We'd like to thank International Hyperhidrosis Society supporter Dr. Lewis P. Stolman for helping to provide these tools for your use. Dr. Stolman, of Livingston, New Jersey, is a leader in the field of hyperhidrosis research and an expert in the treatment of excessive sweating of the hands and feet with iontophoresis. Recently, Dr. Stolman demonstrated the iontophoresis technique at the International Hyperhidrosis Society's educational events in Chicago and Washington, DC.
As you may already know, health insurance organizations may not routinely cover some treatments for hyperhidrosis and they may require documentation of medical necessity before deciding to pay for certain treatments. The Letter of Medical Necessity provided here is a sample letter that physicians can adapt for their own use when providing documentation of a patient's need for a particular therapy.
The Hyperhidrosis Preauthorization Request Form may be used to notify an insurance organization that a patient has been diagnosed with hyperhidrosis and to demonstrate the degree to which the patient's life is negatively affected by excessive sweating. There is also space on the form for the physician to note treatments that the patient has already tried and the next treatment that the physician is recommending.
The Medical Insurance Claim Statement Form can be used to help ease the process of obtaining reimbursement from a U.S. health insurance organization for the purchase of a home-use iontophoresis machine (for the treatment of sweaty hands or feet) from the U.S. manufacturer, R.A. Fischer Company. The International Hyperhidrosis Society would like to thank the R.A. Fischer Company for donating several iontophoresis machines to the Society for educational purposes.
Patients can learn more about iontophoresis by clicking here. Iontophoresis is a learned technique. Patients are able to perform the technique at home using their own iontophoresis machines after detailed training and practice under a physician's supervision. Patients need a prescription in order to purchase an iontophoresis machine from R.A. Fischer Company in the United States. Patients in the U.K. may look into machines made by STD Pharmaceutical. Patients around the world should ask a knowledgeable physician for information about a recommended manufacturer and, of course, all patients should be sure to learn the technique in a physician's office before purchasing a machine for home use.
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Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
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