A little-known test that can help to confirm the presence of the condition is now being paid for by insurers.
Fibromyalgia is an extremely tricky condition and despite the fact that the vast majority of the conventional medical community accepts that it exists and is looking into discovering the best treatments for patients who suffer from its range of symptoms, insurance companies had previously held back from covering many of the tests associated with diagnosing it.
Now, a blood test exists that can help to point to fibromyalgia in many patients and some insurers cover it.
The test was created in 2013 by a biomedical company called EpicGenetics, which is based in Los Angeles, California. That business made headlines around the world when it created the first ever fibromyalgia blood test, known as FM/a. Now, despite the fact that the test is not yet widely known by the average patient – even those that suspect that they may have fibromyalgia – a growing number of insurance companies are starting to get on board with providing coverage for this blood testing.
Health insurance companies are starting to cover this test even though many doctors haven’t started using them yet.
The FM/a test is now paid for by the majority of Medicare plans. That said, among private health insurance providers, such as UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna, many have also started paying for this blood test on a case-by-case basis. Considering the cost of the FM/a, which is currently $794, this is important news to patients who may already be struggling to make ends meet due to the medical issues from which they are suffering.
In order to help to make the test even easier to obtain, EpicGenetics has made certain moves to enhance affordability, such as offering free assistance with processing insurance claims. The insurance claims processing department at EpicGenetics can now contact the insurer of the patient on his or her behalf, at no cost to the patient, in order to determine whether or not the test will be covered by that individual’s health plan.
For patients whose insurance companies are still not yet covering the test, the company is also offering a payment plan in order to place it within the realm of affordability. The test’s price tag can be broken down into six installments with no interest applied throughout those monthly payments.