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Neurological conditions. Mental health. Chronic pain. Women’s health. There are so many people that are looking for relief, and to improve their lives. It’s why our goal at Alternaleaf is to normalise medical cannabis, so more people can consider it as a treatment option.
Although it is becoming more and more recognised, there are still barriers such as cost, eligibility and the negative stigma around this alternative treatment option, that can stop a lot of people from seeking help. We’re going to explore cannabis treatment and health insurance below, to see if we can guide anyone looking to combat that cost barrier.
What is Medical Cannabis, and Who Uses It?
The cannabis plant is pretty extraordinary. Some of its 500+ chemical compounds have shown signs of being antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer agents. One of the main things to pay attention to when talking about medical cannabis are the different cannabinoids, a class of chemical compounds that interact with receptors in our cells and alter the release of chemicals in the brain.
Cannabis produces over 100 cannabinoids, and the two you’ll see most often are cannabidiol (CBD) which is non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t make you feel “high”, and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is psychoactive, so can be behind that “high” feeling cannabis is sometimes associated with, especially when used recreationally.
CBD and THC have been shown to sometimes work better together, and have a more profound impact on the body, due to a phenomenon known as the entourage effect.
The UK legalised medical cannabis in 2018, yet through the NHS, only a small portion of patients qualify or have been prescribed:
- Children and adults with rare, severe forms of epilepsy
- Chemotherapy patients with vomiting or nausea
- Multiple-sclerosis (MS) patients with treatment-resistant muscle stiffness and spasms
For all other conditions, patients have to seek help from a small number of UK-registered, private clinics – like Alternaleaf. The benefits of medical cannabis are undeniable, and some common conditions we have prescribed for include:
Neurological Conditions
- Migraine
- Autism
- Epilepsy
- MS
- Parkinson’s
Mental Health
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- OCD
- ADHD
- Insomnia
Chronic Pain
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Arthritis
- Cancer related
Women’s Health
- Endometriosis
- Menopause
- Pre-menstrual dysphoria
Current Health Insurance Policies on Medical Cannabis
So, how does health insurance typically work in the UK? We’ll try and keep things simple, because it can get complicated. You can make monthly or yearly payments to be covered, typically working with a provider to choose what you want to be covered for. You can then make a claim if you become unwell or are injured. Depending on the cover you’ve chosen, insurers will pay some or all of the cost of any private healthcare you need.
The main benefits are:
- You can choose a hospital or clinic to carry out your treatment
- Treatment tends to be a lot quicker
- You can access some treatments that may not be available on the NHS
Some downsides:
- You might need to pay an excess
- There might be a limit to what you can claim
- Usually, you won’t be covered for anything you had before the policy start date
If you visit any health insurance website, they’ll go into a lot more detail, but this snapshot is all you really need to know as we explore insurance policies on cannabis-based medicines.
In most cases, private health insurance companies will not cover medical cannabis. But it’s always best to check with the provider, because there are sometimes exceptions. Usually covering the cost of appointments and care, but not medication.
However, the advantage of private healthcare is that you’re often able to get a much faster diagnosis, and this is huge when it comes to being eligible for medical cannabis treatment. We go into more detail about what you need to be eligible on the homepage of our website.
Summary
Although it’s very rare to find medical cannabis insurance coverage, there are some exceptions. And, checking with your personal provider is the best thing to do.
However, just because there are little to no private health insurance options for medical cannabis patients, doesn’t mean you aren’t eligible for medical cannabis treatment. At Alternaleaf, we offer a range of medication at a range of different price points. Our clinicians will work with you to find a treatment plan that suits your individual needs and budget. So, if you need to keep costs down, just let us know.