Should hyperhidrosis treatment be covered by medical insurance?

[DermoDav]

''IRVINE, CALIF., July 20, 2004 -- Allergan Inc. announced that the FDA has approved Botox (botulinum toxin type A) for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis (severe underarm sweating) that is inadequately managed with topical agents.''

8 years later in Australia Medicare has subsidised BOTOX for axillary HH. 8 Years!

Medicare pays for psoriasis treatments such as Biologics (19 thousand dollars per patient per year) and phototherapy treatments (no capped sessions) but despite numerous emails to insurance companies and the government public health agencies (Medicare), treatments such as Iontophoresis are not covered.
I think its a lack of government insight in regards to the impact of HH on patient's relationships, work, social and self-esteem.

This question is rhetorical...however how can HH patients can a fair deal? In my view as a dermatologist, the impact of HH is just as significant as psoriasis patients, but HH patient get a raw deal as this condition is not visual (in comparison to a red scaly rash like psoriasis).

 

[Jezza]

''IRVINE, CALIF., July 20, 2004 -- Allergan Inc. announced that the FDA has approved Botox (botulinum toxin type A) for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis (severe underarm sweating) that is inadequately managed with topical agents.''
(...).

Yeah it's sad really, but that's one of the drawbacks of any social welfare system (and don't get me wrong I'm for it in case of healthcare): arbitrary decisions made by faceless bureaucrats in grey suits about who gets to have what.

Also in case of hyperhidrosis there are two things that are a disadvantage; first like you say people who don't have it just can't gauge the impact it has on life and second, there is no magic bullet treatment that is hugely effective without side effects. If for instance there would be a pill out there you needed to swallow daily it would be much easier to make 'them' cover it than ionto treatments, anticholinergics that have conflicting reviews or botox treatments that are not really a solution for anyone who has HH on areas other than the armpits. More often than not, medications get covered because pharmaceutical companies sponsor scientific research that proves their product to be effective and then you can make a good case for QoL improvement and therefore coverage.

Here in the Netherlands there are some cases where botox has been covered for me, albeit by the hospital as opposed to by insurance. It's complicated as every hospital has some cash it can allocate to things they deem beneficial but aren't necessarily covered. However as I have generalised HH I found the injections didn't really change the big picture for me. Now I'll soon get an anticholinergic, but I'll likely have to pay for that myself...which is quite expensive and this while in Germany it is covered...I need to move.