Medicare Part B will cover "medically necessary" services, including doctor visits and care in an outpatient setting for toenail fungus diagnosis and treatment. Original Medicare, on the other hand, will likely pay 20% of the "Medicare-approved" cost, and the Part B deductible will also apply.
Medicare considers routine foot care to be the removal of calluses and corns; cutting, trimming or removing nails; and hygienic or preventive maintenance, such as cleaning or soaking your feet. It won't cover these services but will cover some medically necessary foot treatments that a doctor prescribes.
The PinPointe Laser for treatment of nail fungus, onychomycosis, is considered aesthetic and therefore the procedure itself is not covered by health insurance. Fortunately, Sol Foot & Ankle Centers offers affordable pricing options.
a person often needs at least two sessions, which may be 5–6 weeks apart. results may take about 2 months. all nails get treated in the affected area.
Oral antifungal drugs.
These drugs are often the first choice. One option is itraconazole (Sporanox). These drugs help a new nail grow free of infection, slowly replacing the infected part.
“Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients, though it took anywhere from 5 to 16 months…”
Question: Can Nail Fungus Come Back After Laser Therapy? Answer: Yes. Toenail fungus can come back even after it's been completely eliminated by undergoing one or more laser treatment sessions. Podiatrists will advise their patients on how to keep their toenails free of fungus after undergoing laser treatment.
With treatment, many people can get rid of nail fungus. Even when the fungus clears, your nail(s) may look unhealthy until the infected nail grows out. A fingernail grows out in 4 to 6 months and a toenail in 12 to 18 months.
Laser treatment of toenail fungus is quick and painless. Some patients have said that it feels warm or they have a tingling sensation but no pain during or after treatment. Our laser technology is used throughout podiatry and is FDA cleared for treatment of fungal toenails.
However, possible side effects may include a feeling of warmth and/or slight pain during treatment, redness of the treated skin around the nail lasting 24 – 72 hours, slight swelling of the treated skin around the nail lasting 24 – 72 hours, discolouration or burn marks may occur on the nail.
For patients without health insurance, fungus treatment typically costs less than $20 for over-the-counter topical medications or generic oral medications to less than $100 for prescription topical medications and up to $500 or more for brand-name oral antifungal medications.
The Lunula Laser® laser kills the fungus that lives in and under the toenail. The laser light passes through the nail without causing damage to it or the surrounding skin. Effective, the Lunula Laser® poses none of the risk and harmful side effects of oral anti-fungal medications.
Generally, podiatry services are not covered by Medicare. However, if you have a chronic medical condition like diabetes or osteoarthritis you may be eligible to access podiatry services under a Medicare enhanced primary care plan. In order to access the scheme a general practitioner referral is required.
Does Medicare cover Podiatry? Yes, BUT only to those eligible and referred by a G.P. Medicare implemented a scheme in 2004 for those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, long term arthritis and vascular disease.
Yes, you can get a Medicare rebate for podiatry, using the EPC Program. You need a specific doctor's referral, and the right type of physical condition. You can get $53.80 rebate for up to 5 visits per year. There will always be a small gap payment.
If toenail fungus is left untreated, it can spread to the surrounding skin on the foot, causing another condition known as athlete's foot. An athlete's foot is a condition resulting in itchy, red, and cracked skin, which can become very uncomfortable.
Nail fungus is not a health risk to most people. But anyone with a compromised immune system, such as a diabetic who contracts nail fungus, is at risk of developing serious complications like foot ulcers.
With laser therapy, topical medications, and oral antifungals in our arsenal, we almost never have to actually remove toenails to treat a fungal infection. It does still remain a rare possibility, however, if the case is extreme or continues to come back.
The review at 2 months suggested a good initial success rate but there was no long-term follow-up to determine re-growth rates. Another study of 12 nails treated by laser concluded that it was no better than topical nail lacquer therapy based on the cure rates achieved.
A laser treatment course of 4 treatments (one each week) has over an 80% success rate and several nails can be treated at each treatment session. We can also provide you with advice to prevent re-infection.
As a result, there have been no solid studies to prove that the laser can cure toenail fungus. As a matter of fact, the FDA clearance for laser machines states that it is for “temporary increase of clear nail in patients with onychomycosis.”
The best type of vinegar to treat toenail fungus is apple cider vinegar, a very acidic and strong solution that destroys toenail fungus at the source. To take full advantage of this, mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with at least 2 cups of water – this will dilute the vinegar so that it won't burn your skin.
You'll know that the medication is working and the toenail fungus is dying when your toenail changes back to its natural color, decreases in thickness, shows healthy new growth, and you see a clear delineation between the infected part of the toenail and your new nail growth.