As medical marijuana in Florida gains popularity as an alternative to pharmaceuticals, many people wonder if health insurance covers the cost of this treatment. The strong answer is no, insurance won't pay for medical marijuana. While medical marijuana is not covered by health insurance, most states have legalized medical marijuana. So, while your health insurance doesn't pay the bill, you probably have access to medical marijuana if you need it.
And as time goes on, marijuana rules and regulations may relax, which translates into lower costs for consumers. If you use medical marijuana to treat an approved medical condition, you may not be prosecuted by the federal government. Unfortunately, insurance companies, even in one of 33 states and D, C. Where medical marijuana is currently legal, you won't pay for medical marijuana because it's still classified as a Schedule I substance at the federal level, making it illegal.
Insurance companies won't pay for illegal substances, even if your doctor recommends them for a legitimate reason. While many other dangerous drugs, such as OxyContin, recently linked to increased heroin use and opioid drug overdoses, which resulted in massive 23-state demand for drug manufacturer Purdue Pharma, are covered by insurance companies when prescribed, it's a little surprising that in states where marijuana is legal, is not covered, especially since many insurance companies are exclusive to a single state. It's worth noting that Azar is a former lobbyist and executive for pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. Even in a state where medical marijuana is legal, prescribing it, rather than issuing a recommendation for a medical marijuana card that is valid at state-approved dispensaries, would likely cause doctors to lose their DEA registration, making it difficult to prescribe controlled substances from any order.
To cover medical marijuana, insurance companies would need to add cannabis to the list of approved drugs for their members, called the drug formulary. Marijuana doesn't exist in any U.S. UU. List by classification of a Schedule I drug.
However, even if marijuana were to change to a Schedule II or III drug, or were completely removed from the list of controlled substances (a measure that would decriminalize medical marijuana and allow prescriptions nationwide), it is likely that your health insurance company will not cover it for some time, not just because it would require approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which usually takes years, but also because of the process involved in approving new drugs, which is costly and requires “big pharmaceutical companies to play a role, which will only increase costs more. Approving the addition of medical cannabis to any drug formulary would require the insurance company's pharmacy and therapy committee to add it, which could be a move that the committee might be reluctant to do. If marijuana is reclassified, it could also be available without a prescription, which could mean that medical marijuana patients could end up buying their drugs from the same dispensaries as recreational marijuana users. Health insurance may not pay for medical cannabis under these conditions; however, if it is reclassified and sold as an over-the-counter drug, cannabis may be eligible to be paid for using a health savings account or for flexible spending.
That's not to say lawmakers aren't pushing for insurance coverage, even in Florida. Our constitution recognizes that marijuana is medicine, and if it's in our constitution, companies that provide health insurance to Florida patients should cover it. In addition to the above qualifying conditions, Senate Bill 8A allows the treatment of other “similar diagnosable and debilitating conditions, of type or class” (such as anxiety, depression, or even migraines), as well as terminal conditions (diagnosed by a doctor other than the doctor issuing the certification) and chronic non-malignant pain (defined as pain caused by a qualified medical condition that persists beyond the usual course of that condition). For a full list of qualifying conditions, see our qualifying conditions resource page.
In Canada, however, at least one insurance company does cover the cost of medical marijuana. The medical cannabis benefit is provided as a reimbursement benefit that covers fresh and dried cannabis and cannabis oil. Other cannabis products and products related to cannabis use are not eligible. Plan sponsors can choose from several different options for maximum annual benefits.
In the United States, however, it is expected that it will be years before the FDA approves medical marijuana as a drug, and before that happens, insurance companies are unlikely to add it to the list of drugs they cover. That said, the ever-evolving medical cannabis market has seen a series of unprecedented legal developments that could alter the course of this projection quickly and dramatically. Feedback from our readers is very important and helps us deliver quality articles. Please don't be shy, leave a comment.
CannaMD is committed to providing compassionate care to Florida patients through evidence-based application of medical cannabis research. Focused on education, empathy and exceptional customer service, CannaMD offers an unparalleled patient experience, empowering Floridians to seek a better quality of life. In general, this includes the cost of the appointment for your medical marijuana recommendation, registration fees, and actual cannabis for treatment. Nationwide, however, Medicaid is in the same boat as Medicare and will likely not help with medical marijuana for several years.
While medical marijuana may be useful, some find it difficult to deal with side effects, including headaches, dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue. A lot of questions arise when you consider using medical marijuana to relieve pain or treat a condition. Doctors have taken it upon themselves to reduce costs to obtain a recommendation for medical marijuana. If this trend continues, medical marijuana will have a major impact on the healthcare industry and help lower health insurance.
Prescribing a Schedule I drug, even in a state where medical marijuana has been legalized, would put a healthcare provider at risk of having their DEA registration revoked. Synthetic marijuana is made of dry plant material that is treated with chemicals that produce effects such as the effects of marijuana. As a patient in Florida with a condition that qualifies for medical cannabis, you'll need to cover the cost of each step in the process of obtaining marijuana for treatment. These dispensaries sell medical marijuana in all its legal forms in Florida, including flower buds, vaporizers, oils, tinctures, edibles, and even drops.
Medical marijuana is the use of this drug to help treat symptoms such as pain, muscle stiffness (spasticity), nausea, and lack of appetite. Court cases in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, more recently, have successfully defended the reimbursement of medical marijuana in the workers' compensation case. And in some states, your doctor may issue a certificate so you can buy medical marijuana at a state-licensed dispensary. They can recommend it as long as they follow the protocols for medical marijuana in your state, but not all doctors will.
Qualified physicians complete special training to prescribe it and must be listed on the Florida Medical Marijuana Use Registry. . .
