English
Spanish
Your veins are integral to your body’s functions, carrying oxygen and nutrient-rich blood that keeps organs, tissues, and every other part of your body healthy. With age, issues with veins can become more common, including the development of spider veins and varicose veins.
Because most people think of these issues as mainly cosmetic, you may assume health insurance plans do not cover their treatment. That is not always the case. Learn more about spider vein treatment and when insurance may cover it.
Understanding Spider Veins and How They Form
Spider veins are twisted, damaged, and visible blood vessels that sit right under your skin. They can be red, purple, or blue and can appear in clusters anywhere on your body, though the legs and face are the most common locations. Spider veins are capillaries, which are the smallest blood vessels in the body.
Most spider veins are harmless and do not cause any symptoms, but some people experience:
- Itching
- Burning
- Cramping
- Pain
- Legs that feel heavy or tired
Spider veins form when blood vessels under your skin weaken and expand. Their cause is unclear, but they can include hormonal changes, connective tissue diseases, and injuries.
People who regularly spend a lot of time standing are more likely to develop spider veins, as are people who are overweight. Women, more than men, tend to get spider veins, and some of the aching and discomfort and their visibility can increase during pregnancy.
Spider Vein Treatment Options
There are two main options for treating spider veins. You can go for a sclerotherapy session or laser therapy.
Sclerotherapy is a minimally invasive treatment perfectly suited for spider veins in your legs. You receive an injection that delivers a mixture of concentrated saline or a specially-made detergent into the targeted vein. The solution irritates and scars the inside of the vein, causing it to collapse.
It can lead the spider vein to disappear in three to six weeks.
Sclerotherapy doesn’t require anesthesia, and the results are permanent for most people.
Laser therapy is a non-invasive option that can help if you have spider veins in your face. With this option, you don’t have to worry about chemical injections because it relies on a laser that emits heat and destroys the spider vein. Small veins can disappear immediately, while larger ones can take a few weeks.
One of the best aspects of laser therapy is that the heat targets the vein without damaging your skin.
Both of these procedures can be done in an outpatient setting and do not require much recovery time. At most, you may have to wear compression stockings for a few days.
Covered or Not? What to Expect from Spider Vein Treatment
To better understand whether your insurance will cover spider vein treatment, you have to know whether you need the treatment for cosmetic or medical reasons.
If you want to get rid of the spider veins because you don’t like how they look, you have a cosmetic reason for seeking treatment. Your insurance will likely not cover any type of cosmetic treatment. They may make an exception if you have bleeding spider veins, but the decision is on a case-by-case basis.
In some cases, spider veins can point to an underlying condition, like venous insufficiency. If that is the case, then your insurance will usually cover treatment because it affects your overall health and can lead to more serious issues.
The best way to know if you can get coverage is to ask your insurance provider directly. Tell them all the facts, including whether not having the procedure will harm your health.
If your insurance does not cover the cost of spider vein treatment, financing options are available to help you get the care you need without paying everything upfront.
Getting the Spider Vein Treatment You Need
If you have spider veins causing discomfort or affecting your appearance, you don’t have to resign yourself to living with them. With the many excellent treatment options available, you can get the exact care you need to look and feel your best.
At Metropolitan Vein and Aesthetic Center, we are here to help you eliminate pesky spider veins or the more complex varicose veins. Using sclerotherapy and other treatment options, we can offer results you can rely on. Call Metropolitan Vein and Aesthetic Center today to schedule a consultation.
