Is There Insurance Coverage for Growth Hormone Therapy?

• The cost of your HGH injections is rarely covered by health insurance.
• If you do not have prescription drug coverage, there still may be ways to save on your growth hormone injections.
• Even if you do not have insurance, if you need HGH replacement, you should never let the potential cost of HGH injections to be your only deciding factor in taking them or not.

We understand that when considering any medical procedure cost is a concern for patients. The cost of growth hormone therapy is no exception. Managing the costs of growth hormone therapy is made even a bit more complicated than other procedures, because there is some confusion when it comes to the question of, “is growth hormone therapy covered by insurance.”

Currently, the FDA has approved the use of growth hormone therapy for actually only two conditions: for growth hormone deficiencies resulting in arrested development in children, and for the loss of muscle that occurs in HIV/AIDS patients. When it is prescribed for either of these uses, it is usually covered by medical insurance.

With few exceptions, health insurance rarely, if ever will pay for a prescribed growth hormone therapy.

Will My Insurance Cover Growth Hormone Therapy?

One of the first questions on the minds of patients who have medical insurance is, “Is growth hormone therapy covered by my insurance?” The simple answer is, “yes, no and maybe.” If that sounds a little confusing, it was meant to be so. That is because there really is no definitive answer when it comes to health insurance covering, or denying, a claim for growth hormone therapy.

When treating growth hormone deficiency in children that fail to meet growth benchmarks per the established medical guidelines, growth hormone therapy is rarely denied for those who have adequate medical insurance. However, children are not the only ones that suffer from growth hormone deficiency, or GHD.

Adults too, can be diagnosed with GHD. If the adult onset GHD is found to be a continuation, or recurrence of a GHD that was diagnosed and treated in childhood, again, if you have insurance, your growth hormone therapy will probably be covered.

However, there is another type of adult onset GHD that can more accurately be described as “age-related growth hormone deficiency.” Age-related growth hormone deficiency occurs due to the normal decline in growth hormone as we age. While the decline is natural, it can cause some people severe difficulties, such as chronic fatigue, weakness, sleep problems, and sexual health issues.

While it is safe to do so, and there are many well-documented studies proving the efficacy of growth hormone therapy for age-related HGH loss, the FDA still considers such prescriptions “off-label.”  That does not mean it is unsafe, or in any way illegal for your doctor to use an FDA approved drug “off-label.” It just means that the FDA has yet to complete the stringent clinical trials proving that particular drug is effective in treating that particular condition. Sometimes your insurance company will still pay for an “off-label” prescription of HGH, if your doctor can prove that you have a “medical need” for the prescription.

So, if you do have health insurance, it is possible that your insurance company may pay for all or some of your prescription for growth hormone therapy. If you do have to pay entirely out of pocket for your growth hormone therapy, there could be ways you can work with your HGH prescriber, to lower the cost of your growth hormone therapy. However, if you are suffering from a growth hormone deficiency, when you consider the “cost,” of not having growth hormone therapy, you will realize that you should not let the cost of HGH be the deciding factor in choosing to take it or not.

Depending on your growth hormone prescription, and your individual needs and lifestyle, you could expect to pay anywhere from 500.00 to 1000.00 or more per month for growth hormone therapy.

What Is the Cost of Not Having HGH Therapy?

If you are considering growth hormone therapy, it is impossible to have a discussion about the cost of HGH therapy, without taking into account the “cost” of NOT having HGH therapy. There are costs involved in having growth hormone therapy, there is no getting around that. But, when considering the costs of a prescription for HGH, what you really need to do, is weigh the benefits of HGH therapy vs its costs.  When you do that kind of cost vs benefit analysis, growth hormone therapy almost always comes out to be a worthwhile investment in your health and improved quality of life.

The actual cost of growth hormone therapy varies greatly. Depending on your growth hormone prescription, and your individual needs and lifestyle, you could expect to pay anywhere from 500.00 to 1000.00 or more per month for growth hormone therapy. Men usually require a lower dose of HGH than women, so men do tend to pay less for growth hormone therapy.

The “costs” of not having HGH therapy, go beyond the “costs,” to your health. In the long run, it may cost you more money not to have growth hormone therapy. If you think of all of the negative conditions that HGH therapy can prevent or reverse, such as: high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis – and how much money you would spend on doctor’s visits and medications to treat these conditions, you can easily see how growth hormone therapy can actually save you money in the long run!

Is there an Alternative to the Cost of Growth Hormone Therapy?

The most effective way to treat age-related growth hormone deficiency in adults is with prescription growth hormone therapy. However, in some cases, there is a lower cost alternative to HGH therapy, which may help. It is known as Sermorelin.

Sermorelin therapy can be a lower cost alternative to growth hormone therapy. It is not right for all people who are suffering from age-related GHD, and it will still depend on your blood tests for growth hormone. Depending on the results of your HGH test, your doctor could conclude that you are a candidate for Sermorelin therapy rather than growth hormone replacement therapy.

Sermorelin stimulates your body to produce more HGH. If you are only slightly HGH deficient, Sermorelin therapy, along with a doctor prescribed regimen of diet and exercise, could be enough to raise your level of HGH, and negate your symptoms of HGH deficiency. Over time, Sermorelin injections can save you a significant amount of money over prescription HGH injections, but only your doctor can decide if Sermorelin alone can treat your particular condition. In fact, in some patients, doctors will combine HGH therapy with Sermorelin Therapy.

What Should Be Included in the Cost of Your Growth Hormone Therapy?

Remember, when evaluating the costs of HGH therapy, you have to consider that what goes into the cost of growth hormone therapy is more than just the cost of the HGH. The price of the HGH prescription may be the lion share of the cost, but other things factor into the cost of your therapy, such as blood tests, follow-up doctor’s visits, perhaps some additional nutritional supplements. Make sure when you get a quote for the monthly fee for growth hormone therapy, you know exactly what you are getting.

Are There Ways to Save Money If I Am Not Insured for Growth Hormone Therapy?

With all we have discussed so far about the cost of growth hormone therapy, the good news is, that there are ways to lower the cost of growth hormone therapy. One way we mentioned earlier is perhaps you can qualify for an alternative therapy such as Sermorelin.

Many of the pharmaceutical companies that produce the name brand HGH injections, offer discount programs for patients who need HGH, but do not have health insurance. These companies also often have case managers, or care specialists, who will help you to file an appeal with your insurance company, if they have denied coverage for your growth hormone therapy.

Beyond that, your doctor will work with you to keep your HGH therapy within your needs and budget. You doctor will start out with the lowest dose of HGH he or she believes will be effective for you. Beyond that, as part of your HGH therapy, you will be introduced to diet, fitness and other lifestyle changes, all designed to help naturally raise, and maintain a healthier level of HGH.

The bottom line is this: if you feel you need HGH therapy, do not ignore your symptoms because you think you cannot afford HGH therapy. Contact us today, and find out more about the real costs of HGH therapy.

Even if you do not have insurance, you should not let the cost of HGH be the deciding factor in choosing to take it or not. There are ways to make your treatment more affordable.

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