Dr. Edmund Chein is head of the Life Extension Institute in Palm Springs, California, where he discovered that bioidentical hormone therapy can slow and possibly even reverse the aging process. Here, he discusses whether or not his programs are covered by health insurance policies.
The whole concept of life insurance is something that has to be clarified. To me, health insurance in the United States is basically what I would call “disease insurance.” Calling it health insurance is a misnomer. It is not for health, because if you are healthy they do not pay you. They dot pay a bill for anything to maintain health. They only pay for procedures and other things you do to treat a disease.
If you do anything to stay healthy, they do not pay for the costs you laid out. They do not pay for anything to maintain health. That is why I believe that health insurance should be called disease insurance. As it only treats diseases, it stands to reason that it should be called disease insurance.
Bio-identical Hormone Therapy
Bioidentical hormone therapy is only done to prevent disease; it does not treat disease. So that is the reason that health insurance will not pay for it. Our program is not used to treat any disease; therefore they will not pay. It’s prevention rather than treatment.
Again, our type of hormone therapy should always be called “bio-identical hormone therapy.” If you use hormone therapy with chemical hormones to treat a disease, then insurance will pay.
Not Accurate
Again, to me, health insurance is a misnomer, and is wrong. It should be changed. I don’t want change the system, as the system is fine. We need disease insurance. People who get diseases should be insured. But to sell someone disease insurance and call it health insurance is not accurate.
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