Posted 5/14/2016 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
shanna -
(Sorry if this is repetitive - my memory isn't great)
Coverage depends on MD's practice and your location, as well. Some states have implemented legislation that protects MDs practicing with alternative treatments (and one by one, states are actually mandating that insurance covers it--Maryland most recently but we have a long way to go). But very few LLMDs participate in insurance programs due to the administrative costs--this means very expensive appointments.
But it's also a benefit because MDs aren't beholden to the regulations of the insurance company which often forces MDs into 10-minute appts and restrictions with testing, etc. the list is long. In most cases, LLMDs and LLNDs need at least a couple of hours initially to fully evaluate you--and diagnosis is a process and regular appts with lymees are quite complex and require time.
Also, I think the more successful lyme specialists have patients fill out a detailed survey and the MOST successful ones have you send it in before your initial appt and do their own prep before your appt. Burrascano has a good one - I can share one, too if you like.
My LLMD had me send in a 35+ page questionnaire including medical history, symptom history and other info. So part of the initial appt costs were to cover the upfront time expense on her end to review the info I sent before my appt so we spent my appt time discussing other questions she had--based on the info I already provided. I really appreciated that and it went a long way toward my willingness to pay more up front and also helped build trust in the relationship.
Sometimes it's important to make the initial LLMD appts happen however you can--so that you can get some tests run and a clinical diagnosis for your whole body status (which can include more than just lyme & co but critical to include in the treatment approach). Depending on the severity of the infection and the choice of treatment, some people then move on to a lesser expensive support, some can do a lot on their own, check in with the LLMD once every 6 months or so. Depends on what the LLMD/ND will go for.
My LLMD is a family practitioner who operates a 501.c3 (non-profit) but she also sees (mostly) lyme patients. She accepts only one insurance program so that is the one I switched to (which doubled my premium). And I think I still had to pay out of pocket for my first couple of appointments (the first was a 2-hr-$350 appt w/ her very qualified nurse, and the 2nd was a 3 hr appt with the LLMD although she only charged me for 2 hrs-$450).
She admitted that a lot of LLMDs charge high fees for initial appts to deter trouble-makers, too. But in her case I think it's also because she spends time preparing beforehand.
Since she had a trained nurse in lyme, I saw the nurse for the 3rd and 4th appts and saw the LLMD again for the 5th (and I followed that pattern for the first year). Some people might be done w/ treatment by then--I was just getting started. So now I have phone consults with LLMD every month instead of seeing the nurse (she is no longer w/ the LLMD) and in-person every 3 mos. So another way to evaluate LLMDs/NDs is how flexible they will be once you've established diagnoses and protocol.
-p