Coverage For "Alternative" Therapies?

Hello,

We have been looking into different forms of therapy to be used in conjuction with my father's radiation for primary melanoma with secondary mets to the brain and lungs.  There have been many recommendations for Acupuncture, Nutrition Services, Physical Therapy, Chiropractics, and Psychotherapy...has anyone had any success in getting these covered by insurance as conjunctive treatments for cancer? 

Thanks,

Andy

Andy:

I'm surprised you haven't had more responses to your question. I suspect that the whole area of alternative and supportive therapy would become much more active if insurance companies reimbursed people for the care tehy seek. We would get much more research and more robust involvement by traditional institutions.

My big interest in vitamin C therapy to supplement traditional chemo for my wife's ovarian cancer. There have been anecdotal cases of people taking vitamin c  intravenously using an established protocol of about 50 grams per week along with coQ and vitamin K who have lived for many years after being told by their doctors that they were beyond help.

If insurance would help cover the cost of vitamin c, I'm certain more people would use it as a supplemental and a consolidation therapy. I believe there is evidence to support the idea that regular doses of vitamin c into the bloodstream  will preventy cancers from consolidating and recurring by keeping the internal environment hostile to cancer cell growth without harming the normal cells. In fact, vitamin c has been clearly proven to ease some of the discomfort of traditional chemo therapy.

I don't know how to mobilize and effort to get insurance companies to join in the evaluation of vitamin C. Understandably, they see it as a cost that can be avoided. It used to be the same for bone marrow transplants until an insurance compnay lost a 70 million dollar law suit in California for denying a woman payment for one.

Ironically, I believe vitamin C as an adjuvant therapy could actually reduce costs to insurance companies in the for of fewer adverse side effects and less need for costly drugs to deal with the various collateral health issues caused by traditional chemo.

I know I'm a dreamer, but it would be wonderful if we could encourage more medical and fiancial health institututions to examine alternative therapies even though they don't promise huge finaincial windfalls for drug companies and my actually reduce hospital utilization by cutting down on the need for hospitalizations related to chemo debilitation.

In the meantime, we will continue pay full price for therapies that our insurance won't cover as long as we are able.

God bless and good cheer!

 

Hi ANDY AND HERPARTNER. I have been posting messages regarding alternative therapies etc on this board for some time. Not everything needs to be costly. Diet and supplements for instance can make an amazing difference to our general health and give a good boost to our immune systems which is key to fighting many dis eases. I personally have a Regimen for Detoxification and Regeneration which I gladly send to anyone interested which is a good guideline to follow for assisting in the fight against dis ease. If you are interested just drop me a private message and I'll send it along. Also regarding Intravenous Vitamin C treatments I know at a clinic nearby the cost is $125.00 and is covered by some private insurances. I recently posted a message of an amazing recovery by a friend of mine who took Intraveous Vitamin C/Lipoic Acid along with 714x. I believe if you check under prostrate cancer you will find the message. He was declared terminal in December/06. Shemay

On 1/14/2007 Colonel wrote:

Hello,

We have been looking into different forms of therapy to be used in conjuction with my father's radiation for primary melanoma with secondary mets to the brain and lungs.  There have been many recommendations for Acupuncture, Nutrition Services, Physical Therapy, Chiropractics, and Psychotherapy...has anyone had any success in getting these covered by insurance as conjunctive treatments for cancer? 

Thanks,

Andy

 

On 4/10/2007 Shemay wrote:

Hi ANDY AND HERPARTNER. I have been posting messages regarding alternative therapies etc on this board for some time. Not everything needs to be costly. Diet and supplements for instance can make an amazing difference to our general health and give a good boost to our immune systems which is key to fighting many dis eases. I personally have a Regimen for Detoxification and Regeneration which I gladly send to anyone interested which is a good guideline to follow for assisting in the fight against dis ease. If you are interested just drop me a private message and I'll send it along. Also regarding Intravenous Vitamin C treatments I know at a clinic nearby the cost is $125.00 and is covered by some private insurances. I recently posted a message of an amazing recovery by a friend of mine who took Intraveous Vitamin C/Lipoic Acid along with 714x. I believe if you check under prostrate cancer you will find the message. He was declared terminal in December/06. Shemay

 

On 1/14/2007 Colonel wrote:

Hello,

We have been looking into different forms of therapy to be used in conjuction with my father's radiation for primary melanoma with secondary mets to the brain and lungs.  There have been many recommendations for Acupuncture, Nutrition Services, Physical Therapy, Chiropractics, and Psychotherapy...has anyone had any success in getting these covered by insurance as conjunctive treatments for cancer? 

Thanks,

Andy

 

Shemay,

I would some information that you mentioned regarding detoxification and regeneration.  I'll try anything if it's affordable.  After reading the recent article about caps on medical insurance, it makes me want to do it all the more.