Without Insurance, How Much Does Wart Removal Cost?

If you suffer from warts, there is a variety of wart treatments available. Warts are caused by the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV. There is no cure for the virus, but there are ways to remove warts. The cost of each treatment is dependent on the number and size of warts, as well as how many times the treatment must be used.

If you live in the Huntington area and suffer from warts, there is professional treatment available. While there is no cure for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) that causes warts, there are ways to remove them.

Now, you may be wondering, “Is wart removal expensive?” The answer is, the cost of wart removal depends on the size and number of warts, as well as the type of treatment. The good news is that most insurance companies cover wart treatments from a doctor.

It is important for you to check with your insurance company prior to receiving any type of wart treatment.

WHAT ARE WARTS?

Warts are small, benign growths that appear most commonly on the hands and feet. Warts can vary in shape and size, some looking flat and smooth, while others are dome-shaped or cauliflower-like. Warts occur in people of all ages and can be spread to others, as well as other body parts.

Warts are characterized by where they appear and include:

Common warts: They appear most often on fingers, toes, and knees. They are usually flesh-colored and dome-shaped.
Filiform warts: They appear most often around the face, specifically the eyelids, lips, or neck area. It is usually flesh-colored and stalk-shaped.
Plane warts: These warts appear most often on the face and forehead. It is usually white or flesh-colored and slightly raised.
Genital warts: they appear most often around the pubic area and genitals. They usually begin small and soft but can grow in clusters and become large.
Plantar warts appear most often on the soles of the feet. They usually appear with small black specks and are cauliflower-shaped.
warts Subungual warts: These appear most often around the fingernails and toenails. They usually begin as pin-sized bumps but can grow as large as pea-sized. These appear

TREATMENT FOR WARTS

Treatment for warts can vary. If over-the-counter methods do not work after trying for one to three months, the wart can be treated by a dermatologist through the following methods:

Cryotherapy – freezing with liquid nitrogen.
Electrosurgery – uses electric current to kill tissue.
Laser Surgery – heats the wart to kill tissue.

Insurance

Most insurance companies do cover wart treatments that are provided by a doctor or specialist. Some, however, do not. Check with your insurance company before undergoing treatment to see if your wart removal will be covered.

Does Medicaid Cover Wart Removal?

Although Medicaid is partially paid for with federal government funds, it’s administered by states. This means what is covered by Medicaid depends on where you live and the exact Medicaid program you’re enrolled in. Wart removal is generally undertaken by dermatologists, and most states cover dermatological visits.

Despite this, many instances of wart removal aren’t covered by Medicaid. As warts are normally benign, they’re most commonly removed because of their appearance.

This means wart removal is generally considered a cosmetic procedure, which isn’t covered by Medicaid. This is the case, even if the location of the wart is causing emotional distress.

Sometimes, warts can cause medical issues, and in these cases, Medicaid does cover wart removal. There are a wide range of reasons why wart removal would be deemed medically necessary, including:

Bleeding
Intense itching
Pain
Enlargement of the wart
Inflammation of the area
Obstruction of an orifice, such as a wart that blocks an ear or nostril
Restriction of eye function

It’s also medically appropriate to remove a wart if your doctor or dermatologist is uncertain of their diagnosis. This is normally done if the skin lesion shows signs of being malignant.

What Is the Cost of Wart Removal?

If your wart removal isn’t covered by Medicaid but you still want to get it removed, you can pay for your own treatment. The cost involved depends on the size of the wart, how many warts you have, where they’re located, and the removal method.

Over-the-Counter Products

There are several over-the-counter products available for wart removal. Some involve applying salicylic acid regularly to the wart. These can come in liquid, gel, or solid forms.

Cryotherapy products have also become available for home treatment. These involve freezing the warts with liquid nitrogen and simulating the cryotherapy that is performed in a doctor’s office.

Most over-the-counter wart removal treatments can be purchased for under $35. Several applications may have to be performed for the warts to disappear completely.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy, or freezing warts with liquid nitrogen, may be performed either in your general practitioner’s office or by a specialist. There is some discomfort involved, which usually lasts for 48–72 hours after each treatment.

The cost for the procedure largely depends on who is performing the treatment, how many warts are being removed, and the number of follow-up treatments. Cryotherapy treatments can range from $200 to $650.

Laser Therapy

Warts may also be removed with laser therapy. Pulsed dye laser therapy is used to cut off the blood supply to the wart. The wart will then fall off over time. Carbon dioxide lasers are also used for wart removal.

These lasers focus on the area surrounding the wart, and they may cause scarring. Prices for laser surgery start at about $100 and will be determined by the number of warts to be removed and the number of treatments required.

Surgery

Your doctor may opt for you to have surgery to remove warts. Electrosurgery and curettage are two procedures that are often performed together. The physician first uses an electrical current to burn the wart. The wart is then cut off with a small knife. The incision may be large enough that it will need to be sutured.

Surgery is often more painful than other wart removal treatments, and it can be more expensive. The virus that causes warts remains in the skin after surgery, so warts may reappear. Scarring is also common. Surgery for wart removal may be between $100 to $200 per surgery.

Bleomycin

This procedure is usually only used as a last resort when all other wart treatments have failed. Bleomycin is a cancer-fighting agent that inhibits DNA synthesis, thus killing the virus that causes warts. It is injected into the wart.

It causes a blood blister to form which prompts the wart to fall off. Additional treatments may be necessary until all warts have been cleared. Bleomycin has several side effects, including pain, scarring, and nail damage. It can cost from $125 to $600, depending on the number of treatments that are needed.

Is Wart Removal Considered Surgery?

The only wart removal treatment that’s considered surgery is wart removal surgery. Surgery is normally used when the wart can’t be treated by other means. Although this is minor surgery, it tends to be more painful than other options and is more likely to cause scarring.

As the surgery doesn’t remove HPV from the skin, it’s also possible for warts to reappear after surgical removal.

As this is minor surgery, it’s performed in the office and only uses a local anesthetic. Depending on the size of your wart, you may need stitches following the procedure, but there’s not normally any postoperative discomfort, and you’re unlikely to need a long recovery period.

Your doctor should discuss the risks and possible side effects of any procedure with you before starting treatment.

Also Read: