How Much Will My Varicose Veins Treatment Cost?

Varicose veins occur when the small valves inside of veins become weakened. When your veins are healthy and working properly, these valves should push blood all the way back to your heart. When they get too weak, however, some of the blood stays behind and eventually builds up in your veins. This extra blood puts pressure on the vein walls, which can cause them to twist and bulge above the surface of your skin. 

The risk factors for varicose veins include being:

• Of older age
• Female
• Inactive
• Pregnant
• Overweight or obese
• On birth control pills or hormone replacement

However, varicose veins can occur in many different people. If you’re dealing with this issue, you are far from alone. Varicose veins are very common. In fact, they affect up to 35% of people in the United States. And although they usually occur in your legs, they can form in other parts of your body as well.

To diagnose varicose veins, a vein specialist will ask you about your medical history and concerns, and then perform a diagnostic ultrasound in order to determine which modality will provide the best course of treatment. 

Thankfully, there are multiple things you can do to help the appearance of and symptoms associated with varicose veins. Some you can do for free from the comfort of your home, while others involve a trip to the doctor’s office. 

Popular home treatment options include:

• Wearing gradient compression socks
• Propping up your legs
• Avoiding long periods of sitting down or standing up 
• Exercising 

Common medical procedures include: 

• Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA)
• Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
• Microfoam Injection
• Cyanoacrylate 
• Endovenous Mechanochemical Ablation (MOCA)

What Factors Influence the Cost of Varicose Vein Treatment?

The cost of varicose vein treatment depends on several factors, including:

• The type of treatment
• Your geographic location
• Whether or not you have insurance and your particular plan’s out-of-pocket expenses
• The number of veins treated

Will Insurance Cover Varicose Vein Treatment?

Whether or not your insurance will cover treatment for varicose veins largely depends on whether or not you experience symptoms. While most plans cover at least some of the treatment for symptomatic cases of varicose veins, they won’t offer coverage when the treatment is more cosmetic than medically necessary. 

If you experience any of the following symptoms of varicose veins, you likely qualify for insurance coverage:

• Tingling, itching or burning in the affected area
• Aching or cramping, especially at night
• Soreness or throbbing
• Heaviness or tiredness in your legs 
• Discoloration of the surrounding skin
• Changes in your surrounding skin texture

However, the amount of coverage you may be qualified for varies from company to company. Seeking pre-approval (or pre-authorization) is always your best bet if you’re hoping to have insurance help cover the varicose vein treatment cost. Pre-approval is required by some insurance plans, but when it isn’t required, a pre-determination can be used. This is a courtesy done by the insurance company to determine if the procedure will be covered before it’s performed. 

If your insurance provider doesn’t cover the modality your doctor recommended, be sure to ask about the coverage of related treatments that you might qualify for. 

Your specialist’s office will help with these processes, and may even handle all insurance-related tasks on your behalf. 

How Much Does Each Varicose Veins Treatment Cost? 

If you have symptoms with your varicose veins or varicose veins hinder your way of life, you may choose to have them treated. Each treatment option is very different. There are various techniques, tools, specialists, and most importantly, price points to know and understand before making a decision. 

It’s important to note that insurance allowables for varicose vein treatments vary from state to state, and sometimes even from office to office—depending on the contract they have with your insurance. However, the only time you will need to pay the full allowable is if you need to meet a high deductible before cost-sharing by the insurance comes into play. Once the deductible is met, you may have to pay a percentage of the allowable (usually 10-20%), or only a copay (a fixed dollar amount per visit that is usually under $100). 

Because of the many other factors involved, it is difficult to give exact estimates of procedure prices. However, here are the national averages for the insurance allowables of each treatment option: 

Endovenous Laser Ablation 

This kind of laser treatment involves inserting a laser fiber into the vein and then making the vein close up through the heat generated by laser ablation. The cost of EVLA for varicose veins is around $1,200. The cost largely depends on how many varicose veins require laser treatment. 

Endovenous Radiofrequency Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is more expensive than other treatment options because it presents fewer complications than surgery. However, it is very similar to EVLA. This treatment involves using radiofrequency energy inside a vein to scar it and close it off. On average, this treatment costs around $1,300. Both EVLA and RFA have the most widely available insurance coverages. 

Microfoam Injection

Injecting microfoam into varicose veins displaces blood and destroys the vein lining. This treatment only takes about 10 minutes to administer and costs around $1,500.

Cyanoacrylate

Cyanoacrylate is a medical adhesive that is inserted into your vein through a catheter to seal it off. The average price of this newer form of treatment is $2,000. Both microfoam injection and cyanoacrylate still have limited insurance coverage. However, coverage is currently growing across many insurance companies. 

Endovenous Mechanochemical Ablation 

Mechanochemical ablation is a newer nonthermal treatment option, and costs between $3,000 and $5,000. Unfortunately, insurance coverage for this treatment is almost nonexistent, despite it being FDA approved. 

Ambulatory Phlebectomy

With this surgery, multiple small cuts are made into the skin around the varicose vein, and then the vein is removed. It is also referred to as stab avulsion, and typically costs about $400. This treatment is usually performed on large veins that stick out above the surface of the skin, and it is widely covered by insurance. 

How to Find the Treatment That Is Right for You

There is a lot to consider before landing on a varicose vein treatment plan that is right for you. At My Vein Treatment, we want to take some of the stress out of the process. With our physician locator tool, you can find vein specialists near you with the click of a button. When you get a list of results, you can then receive more information and ask about the specific prices of treatment. 

You can also explore our site to find out everything you need to know about vein treatments.