HT's and health insurance

[hatrick]

Why isn't hair restoration or propecia covered under health insurance? Acne treatment is purely cosmetic yet its covered by most health insurance companies. Just like acne, hair loss can lead to depression, social anxiety, and other mental health issues. It makes no sense! Why are we the ones who get screwed?

 

Also, how long does it usually take for transplanted hairs to shed after surgery? 1-2 weeks after surgery?

[djdennis]

Let me take a crack at your question??? I think the reason health care would not cover an ht firstly because it is costly. 2nd its a cosmetic surgery and is more of a luxury then a need.

 

I understand what you are saying about depression,anxiety and the pains off hairloss. If health insurance covered hts then alot of people would be on that bandwagon. The health insurance would be also a very high premium to recoupe losses and high payouts.

 

For Acne I believe the reason that health insurance covers this is because it deals with the skin and for some people acne can be painful with soares and pockholes etc. keep your chin up and lets just be thankful that there is a remedy to bring back your hair. What about all those guys in the past that did not have the luxury of being able to have an ht. (fathers, grandparents, im sure they had feelings like this also of depression and low self esteem) press forward my friend,dont give up the rewards of life are givin to those who endure and finish the race. save your $$$$$ (how old are you?) I had to wait 9 years for an ht and I had to save my money. God Bless

[djdennis]

check into proscar its the same as propecia but you will need a perscription from a doc and some health insrance companies will cover this. My health insurance will not,so I pay out of pocket!!! But the cost is way cheaper a 4 month supply for $90.00 to $100.00 where I live . So thats only at max $25 per month out of pocket. Check out proscar on the search engine on this forum. Lots of good info

[hatrick]

thanks for your help. is proscar the same ingredients as propecia just under the name proscar?

 

I'm 24, i'm a class 2 right now, but i can see it getting worse and worse. Luckily i have some money i can use to have the procedure done now. The thing is the money i'll be using is supposed to be for school, so now i will have to take out a student loan to be able to pay for the rest of my classes after my HT. Whatever though, its worth it. I wont need to many grafts, anywhere from 1,200-1,500 i think will be sufficient for now. I'll be going to Dr. Tessler, he has a great reputation in the detroit area. His estimate was only about 5-6 thousand for the procedure, seems to be a good deal. Hopefully the propecia/proscar will keep the rest of my hair from falling out.

[hatrick]

so proscar/propecia both stop hairloss and improve prostate health?

[hatrick]

do you know of any good online pharmacys to order proscar from or should i just go to my local pharmacy to fill the prescription? proscar is covered under my health insurance, so its only a $10 co-pay for me.

[djdennis]

Thats great that your health care will take care of it for you. You will need a script from your primary doctor to get approved for the co-pay. Just tell the doc why you want proscar and be honest with him. Tell him that loosing your hair is bothering you and you are starting school and you want to keep your remainding hair for the future.

 

Yes same active ingredient finasteride!!! proscar & Propecia

 

Some primary doctors will not approve proscar and then you will need to see a ht doc and he will give you a script.

 

also try the rogaine foam!! Its a bit pricey but these 2 routines are the best! You can buy the minox which is the same as Rogaine. Minox is the generic name for rogaine as proscar is the generic for finasteride.

 

You are a young guy and I would wait atleast 1 year on the meds to see how they work for you. Everyone is different on the results they will achieve.You might be one of the blessed ones.

 

Again you are young and you dont know what your future will be for hairloss. Say you get an ht and then 3 years down the road you might need another. Its a roll of the dice and you want to make sure you have enough donor hair for your future. Take a look at the men in your family and see what there hairloss has been like. Ask Questions to them on the time frame they started to loose and when it slowed down.

 

My friend please take your time and dont rush into anything. Give the meds time to work and then consult with great docs. I know alot of docs might deny to give you an ht because you might be a little young and these docs are saying this for your best interest. Do you have any pics? Bill is a great guy on this site and I believe he will agree with me.

 

I dont know to much about Dr. Tessler but if I was going to choose a doc, distance would not be my facor. I just traveled in Feb 2008 from Boston To Miami to have my 1st hairtransplant. Remember you are going to have to live with this ht for the rest of your life and your young!!!!!! I would hate to see a mistake ruin your life because I see from your 1st post that this hairloss really bothers you.

 

If I was going to use a doctor from the coalition I would check out my doc Dr. Epstein and Dr. Feller and Hasson & Wong or Ron Shapiro. Thats my list from the results Ive seen on the site. Again never heard of Tessler. I paid Dr. Epstein $7900 for 2953 grafts so your doc tessler is in a pretty good price range of 1500 grafts for 5k. I would not do 1200 grafts for 5k. My doc gives a great price of $3.30 per graft and is not about just the $$$$. Shop around !!! Also tell the doctors that you are using your school $$$$ to get an ht and they just might have compassion because they see this is really bothering you.

[hatrick]

Dr. Tessler is part of the coalition. he's regarded as one of the best HT doctors in the country. He's listed in the book of "the best doctors in america". I found this website off of his website. There isn't very much about him on here, but he comes highly regarded.

 

I've done LOTS of research. i'm not a newbie to this stuff. I have enough hairloss to where it makes sense to have the procedure. I'm young, but 24 is old enough. I have already had a few consultations with other doctors just to get some info and price ranges and stuff. I knew Tessler would be my guy all along, just wanted to see what some other doctors had to say. All said my donor hair was excellent.

 

I'm at the age were i want and need my hair now. It doesn't make sense to wait any longer. I dont want to be married and have kids by the time i get around to having my HT. I'm not rushing, i've been thinking/researching about this for over a year. The time is right. I think i could have some excellent results as the area that needs filling is not large. I will probably only need 1,200-1,500 grafts to achieve my desired results. Which should leave plenty of donor hair should i need future surgery's.

 

I have only one uncle who is completely bald. No one else in my family has extensive hair-loss. I have my consultation with Dr. Tessler on Tuesday, i will ask him for a proscar script no doubt.

 

Thanks for your help and advice, i'll let you know how the consultation goes.

 

unfortunately i dont have a digital camera so i cant post pics, atleast yet.

[djdennis]

Im glad you have done your homework. I popped Dr. T on the search engine and Pat the facilitator gave this doc a great thumbs up. keep me informed bro

[Bill - Seemiller]

hatrick and djdennis,

 

I agree with what you have found and Pat's assessment of Dr. Tessler. Read about Dr. Tessler's impressive credentials and see some of his patient photos here. See also Pat's visitation and detailed review of Dr. Tessler and Dr. Aronovitz.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill