Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36726896›Full record

ArticleCureus2022

Insurance Coverage of Dermabrasion and Chemical Peel Procedures: A Critical Analysis of 58 American Insurance Companies.

Michael Ha, Emily R Finkelstein, Mark Wieland, Aasheen Qadri, Madeline Brown, Jason Ejimogu, Yvonne M Rasko

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 39% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Michael HaDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Emily R FinkelsteinDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, USA.
Mark WielandDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Aasheen QadriDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Madeline BrownDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Jason EjimoguDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
Yvonne M RaskoDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
University of Miami · USUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction Dermabrasion and chemical peels are infrequently utilized methods of treatment for medical-grade conditions despite demonstrations of favorable outcomes. Insurance coverage status has previously been shown to impact availability and accessibility to specific treatments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rate of insurance coverage provided for dermabrasion and chemical peel procedures in the treatment of acne, acne scarring, and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC). Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 58 insurance companies by web-based search or phone interview determined the number of insurers with a publicly available policy on dermabrasion or chemical peels. Coverage status and any corresponding criteria were extracted from existing company policies. Results Thirteen (22%) and 22 (38%) policies discussed dermabrasion in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, with 62% and 73% of these policies providing coverage. Acne scarring was discussed in significantly more dermabrasion policies than basal cell carcinoma (45% vs 22%; p=0.018). However, significantly more insurers denied coverage of dermabrasion for active acne and acne scarring when compared to dermabrasion to treat basal cell carcinoma or actinic keratosis (p<0.001). Eighty-seven percent of companies (n=20) with a chemical peel policy for premalignant lesions would provide coverage, with required criteria present in 95% (n=19) of the policies that would cover chemical peels for actinic keratosis specifically. Of the 25 companies (43%) that discussed the treatment of acne with chemical peel procedures, 14 (56%) provided coverage, and 11 (44%) denied coverage. Coverage was denied by significantly less insurers for the treatment of active acne with chemical peel procedures compared to treatment with dermabrasion (44% vs 83%; p<0.006). Conclusion Significant discrepancies were noted in both the presence of a public policy and the coverage status of dermabrasion or chemical peel procedures among the United States health insurance companies. These inconsistencies, along with multiple criteria required for coverage, may create an artificial barrier to receiving care for specific medical-grade conditions.

Indexed as

acne treatmentchemical peeldermabrasioninsurance coverageskin cancers

Identifiers

PMID36726896
PMCPMC9886408
OpenAlexW4313336386

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.