NutraTalk Blog

Your Insurance May Cover Micronutrients

Posted on : July 23, 2018 by Hardy Nutritionals®No Comments

If you have health insurance and you live in the United States, you may be able to get some or all of your micronutrients covered by your insurance plan. Some people have been able to get their insurance to cover micronutrients including Hardy's clinical strength broad-spectrum formula, Daily Essential Nutrients.insurance coverage micronutrients

One of our customers shares the following about her experience getting Daily Essential Nutrients micronutrients covered as a deduction on her HSA health insurance plan:

"The approach I took with my psychiatrist was this: I had an appointment with him shortly after I made the decision to try DEN for my bipolar disorder. He had been my doctor for 14 years at that point, and had seen me through several hospitalizations. I handed him a several page printout on which I had cut and paste abstracts from Hardy's research pages of studies that pertained to my disorder, along with the cover photo for each so he'd readily recognize each journal. 

I informed him (did not ask his permission, I knew better ;) ) that I was going to try DEN and most likely transition off my psych meds. He has never been supportive of natural supplements since they aren't FDA approved, and so cautioned me against it but was otherwise "OK" with it. 

Three months later I was meds free when I saw him again, and doing better than I'd been in years. At the end of the appointment, he said "I guess you don't need me anymore" and was ready to release me...I suggested we meet again 3 months out, "just to make sure I'm still good". Truth is, I felt so amazingly stable on DEN, I had no doubt it would keep working, but I wanted HIM to see that. 

When we met 3 months later, he was clearly impressed with how well I was doing, and again suggesting releasing me from his care. That's when I asked if he would write and sign a letter saying 'Daily Essential Nutrients by Hardy Nutritionals is medically necessary for my bipolar disorder'. He agreed!  And within a couple of weeks, he had followed through (I did have to keep on it though). I submitted it here in the US for a deduction on my Health Savings Account, and it was approved!"

Due to the fact that broad spectrum micronutrient formulations such as Daily Essential Nutrients are not classified as a drug, they are not eligible to be FDA approved, regardless of the fact that broad-spectrum micronutrients have been shown in over 40 independent medical journal publications to have a positive impact on mood and mental health disorders.  As such, many healthcare practitioners might be concerned about the fact that DEN is not FDA approved, so they may not want to risk recommending or prescribing it.  At Hardy Nutritionals®, we have found through experience that in this case, the doctor may simply ask the patient to sign a waiver absolving the doctor of any medical responsibility when it comes to that specific prescription or recommendation.

You may also be able to deduct the cost of micronutrients from your annual taxes, according to the IRS:

          1. Vitamins and supplements: If the nutritional supplements are recommended by a medical practitioner as treatment for a specific medical condition diagnosed by a doctor, then they may be qualified. The IRS provides that:
          2. “You cannot include in medical expenses the cost of nutritional supplements, vitamins, herbal supplements, ‘natural medicines,’ etc. unless they are recommended by a medical practitioner for a specific medical condition diagnosed by a physician. Otherwise, these items are taken to maintain your ordinary good health and are not for medical care.”

Certain insurance companies have provisions for natural, alternative or holistic treatments when they are recommended or prescribed by a physician.

Many Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) have specific language that covers vitamins and minerals when they are recommended or prescribed by a physician for a specific medical diagnosis.  If you have a HSA plan or if your insurance plan includes coverage for holistic, natural, or alternative treatments (including supplements) for specific medical diagnoses, you may be able to get a letter from your doctor showing that you have a medical need which you can send to your insurance company to try and get coverage or reimbursement.

If your healthcare practitioner is unable or unwilling to consider the benefits of broad spectrum micronutrients after reviewing the independent university research on our website, you may consider working with a healthcare provider trained in the use of clinical micronutrients.  To find a provider, visit the Hardy Nutritionals® healthcare provider locator.

Hardy Nutritionals® multivitamin-mineral products are powered by our proprietary NutraTek™ mineral delivery technology, which combines each mineral with specialized organic molecules—just like nature—to optimize absorption and distribution to body cells. Our flagship supplement, Daily Essential Nutrients, is widely considered to be the most research-backed micronutrient treatment.
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