How Do Patients Afford the Compression Garments They Need? And Who Is Making That
Choice for Them?
As we’ve been talking to people during in-services, we’ve heard that many people in the health care and medical supply industries perceive cost to be a restrictive barrier that prevents women from obtaining the compression garments they need for Truncal Lymphedema. Sometimes well-meaning retailers and health care providers worry that women will not be able to afford compression garments for Truncal Lymphedema; others simply feel that prescribed compression garments are “too expensive”. We’d like to address some of the points they’ve raised.
The Insurance Question
For patients with insurance, cost should not be a barrier at all. Private insurance companies may be required by law (the Women’s Cancer Act of 1998) to reimburse breast cancer survivors for lymphedema compression garments, whether needed for the limb or torso. (For more information on breast cancer patients’ legal right to coverage for compression garments, visit the Bellisse website.).
For those who do not have insurance, the issue is a little less clear-cut. Right now, Medicare is not covering compression garments for Truncal Lymphedema, although we strongly encourage people to submit claims anyway to document need so that the policy can be changed. In the meantime, truly in-need patients can often obtain breast cancer care-related funds available through support groups, local organizations, and hospitals. These funds can generally be used to purchase compression garments.
Value for One’s Dollars
As for the argument that cheaper compression garments will do the job just as well as their more expensive counterparts, we respectfully disagree! Compression garments designed specifically for Truncal Lymphedema contain important features that contribute significantly to a patient’s comfort and quality of life. (Click here for a chart showing how the Compressure Comfort Bra stacks up to other compression garments.) We feel that substituting a cheaper but less appropriate garment is pennywise and pound-foolish – it may save a few bucks but we think that over the lifetime of the garment, the improvement in comfort will be well, well worth it.
What we’re most concerned about, though, is those instances when a decision is made to steer a patient toward a less medically-appropriate but cheaper option without consulting the patient, and without educating her about the benefits vs. the cost. We have heard reports about dealers (fortunately, just a few) actually switching the prescribed Bellisse Compressure Comfort® Bra for a more generic post-surgical bra that is not designed for lymphedema management, based strictly on cost alone – and without taking into consideration the fact that generic post-surgical may have design elements that could actually exacerbate the patient’s lymphedema.
What Is Comfort Worth?
Another thing to think about: What is comfort worth? Think of the little things we all buy to increase the health and comfort of our lives, and how much we spend on them each day. For each of us, the perceived value of these things is different – some of us pay extra for organic vegetables; others buy hands-free headsets for driving with cell phones; others invest in really good, comfortable running shoes. Only you can decide how you want to spend your money to maximize your own safety, health, and quality of life: it’s not something we should dictate to others.
Lightning 2, LLC