Will Health Insurance Pay for a Hot Tub?

A hot tub isn’t legitimate medical equipment. So, will health insurance pay for a hot tub or will you shoulder all the cost of purchasing it?

Keep reading to find out more.

Read: Will Health Insurance Cover Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Will Health Insurance Pay for a Hot Tub? 

It depends on the kind of hot tub you want to purchase. The hot tub that your health insurance will cover is the one that is used in modern medicine.

Thus, if you’re buying a hot tub for recreational purposes, then it will not be covered.

Instead, you need a hot tub that promotes good circulation and reduces joint pain. 

The heat in the tub encourages dilation of the blood vessels. When it happens, it improves chronic pain and circulation.

Furthermore, the heat enables the joints to expand slightly. It helps everything to move freely and reduces pain.

How to Get Your Health Insurance to Pay for a Hot Tub? 

You need a prescription from your doctor to get a hot tub. To do that, you should go to a specialist. However, you may also obtain a prescription from a general practitioner.

The specialist is more preferred. If you have circulation problems, you may visit an internal medicine specialist or a rheumatologist if you’re having joint issues.

If your doctor believes that hot tub therapy is beneficial for your case, then he/she will write you a prescription.

When you have the prescription, you can talk to your insurance and find out if your policy can pay for it.

Keep in mind though that not all doctors are convinced that hot tub therapy is a legitimate treatment. You need to find a doctor who specializes in this area.

You can start by searching online. There are plenty of details about how to obtain a prescription for hot tub therapy.

Read: Will Health Insurance Cover Breast Reduction Surgery?

What Hot Tub Does Health Insurance is Willing to Pay for? 

As mentioned, not all hot tubs are covered. The one that is covered offers authentic medical benefits.

It means that health insurance is only willing to pay for a specialized hot tub designed for medical treatments.

If you’re planning to buy large hot tubs, then they might not be approved by your health insurance provider.

You should not try to convince your health insurer to approve a normal hot tub for recreational purposes. This is insurance fraud.

In that case, you must only ask your health insurer if it can pay for the hot tub for your therapy.

If you’re not sure what type of hot tub you should buy that your health insurance will pay for, you must ask your prescribing doctor.

Or you can just look online. The internet can give you a lot of information about a specialized tub that can be used for hot tub therapy.

Read: How to Find the Right Provider?

Will Health Insurance Reject Your Claim? 

You have the prescription and documentation from your doctor. What now? Keep in mind that there’s still a huge chance that your health insurer will reject your claim.

Your policy may not provide hot tub coverage. The reason for this is that many health insurers consider hot tubs as personal care equipment and not medical equipment.

If your policy doesn’t cover it, make sure that you change provider next time. Your new provider or policy might be able to pay for your hot tub.

On the other hand, you need to evaluate the total cost of your new policy and the benefits of owning a hot tub.

In most cases, the cost of owning a hot tub may outweigh the price of changing your policies.

If you got injured because of the actions of another entity, the insurer of the party at fault may pay for the cost of the prescribed hot tub therapy.

Read: What Health Insurance is Best?

What Other Treatments That Offer the Same Result and Are Likely Covered? 

Other treatments for poor circulation and joint pain are likely to be covered by your insurer than hot tub therapy. If you get a rejection of your claim, consider other treatments.

However, other treatments may involve the use of medicine.

Is the Medical Hot Tub Cost Tax Deductible? 

Yes, if it’s medically necessary. If your insurer denies your claim even if you have the prescription from your doctor, you can still purchase the tub and deduct it from your tax return.

Although it’s not the most convenient way to get reimbursement, it can make the purchase more affordable.

Conclusion 

Will health insurance pay for a hot tub? It may pay for it if it’s prescribed by your doctor. If not, you can still buy it and deduct it from your tax return. Find out here if health insurance premiums are tax-deductible.