The popularity of CBD oil has grown significantly over the past few years. More people are now turning to this alternative source of medicine. But even though some physicians may prescribe CBD oil, it’s still not covered by health insurance agencies.
CBD oil users have to make these purchases out of pocket, which can be costly in the long run. Scientific studies have proved that CBD can be used to manage several health conditions, including acute and chronic diseases. So, why won’t health insurance agencies cover CBD Oil?
Why Won’t Health Insurance Cover CBD Oil?
It’s evident that CBD has lots of positive effects, and you can use it to manage both physical and mental health issues. But even with enough evidence backing the effectiveness of CBD oil, insurance companies still won’t cover these products. So, why are prescription pharmaceutical drugs with more side effects and the highest price tags covered and not safe and affordable CBD oil?
CBD isn’t FDA-Approved
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the biggest obstacles to CBD insurance’s cover. Before a new drug is released to the public market, the FDA must first approve it so that doctors can legally prescribe these drugs to patients.
Currently, the FDA mainly focuses on pharmaceutical drugs and has no interest in medications obtained from natural resources. This means that FDA can’t be approved now, and that’s why health insurance agencies can’t provide cover for CBD products since they aren’t FDA-approved.
Note: Currently, Epidiolex is the only FDA-approved drug used to treat a rare form of epilepsy.
CBD is Classified as Schedule 1 Drug
CBD is derived from the industrial hemp plant from the cannabis family. As a result, its use and effectiveness are still met with significant uncertainty. While CBD from industrial hemp is legal federally, marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I drug in some states.
This has created confusion regarding CBD use as some companies try to refrain from such issues. This isn’t just about insurance companies, but some shipping companies won’t even consider delivering such products, especially in states where CBD is still illegal.
Benefits of CBD Oil
You can use CBD oil to manage a wide range of health conditions. There have been several ongoing research in the last few years, and the results are actually promising. Some of the common benefits of CBD include
Pain and Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD and therapeutic effects help to treat pain and inflammation without resulting in dependency or harsh side effects of opioids. Additionally, CBD can help treat multiple sclerosis and muscle spasms.
Anxiety and Depression
CBD has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties that make it effective in regulating the symptoms of these conditions
Anti-Acne
this is because it helps to reduce the inflammation on the skin and eliminates free damaging radicals from the body.
Sleep and Insomnia
The effectiveness of CBD in reducing stress, a running mind, easing physical discomfort while providing therapeutic effects usually lead to deeper, lasting, and improved sleep patterns.
Epilepsy
CBD has anti-epileptic properties that can be highly beneficial to people with epilepsy.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Research studies show that taking a combination of THC and CBD effectively increases the survival of brain cells. Besides that, combining these compounds can stimulate the functions of the hippocampus and reduce lipid function.
Is CBD Legal?
CBD is legal federally in all the 50 states in the US. However, state laws may differ, and some of them haven’t legalized the use of CBD oil products until now. However, most brands will ship to most of these states as the FDA has designated CBD oil products as food supplements.
What Alternatives Do CBD Users Have?
CBD users currently don’t have any alternative, and if they want to buy CBD products, then they must do this out of their own pockets. Even with a doctor’s prescription, there is no available financial assistance. The fact that CBD is legal federally yet still remains widely unregulated means that everyone needs to be cautious when making purchases.
There are cheap products available on the market. But a high-quality bottle of CBD oil can cost you up to $100, depending on the brand and level of concentration. To buy high-quality CBD oil and avoid falling victim to scams, make sure that you do comprehensive research. Besides that, always buy your CBD oil from a reputable manufacturer and directly from their official website.
The Future of CBD Oil and Health Insurance
Even though health insurance companies currently don’t cover CBD, it’s still too early to rule out that there won’t be such coverage in the future. The popularity of CBD oil is rapidly growing, and so is a scientific research study about it. Probably in the future, the FDA will consider reviewing the health benefits of CBD and its effectiveness in improving overall human health.
Additionally, maybe cannabis products such as marijuana will no longer be classified as Schedule I drugs, so health companies might finally change their stance and consider covering the cost of CBD oil.
Conclusion
CBD’s health properties have made it popular, making those looking for alternative sources of medicine. The affordable and organic product’s anti-inflammatory, anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, anti-depressant properties, etc., can help those with underlying health complications manage them effectively.
But even as the popularity of CBD grows, health insurance companies still won’t cover them, and so patients have to pay for these products out of pocket. This is because the FDA hasn’t approved the use of CBD oil, even though there is scientific evidence backing the claims of CBD oil. But rules regarding marijuana and other cannabis products are changing, and so in the future, health insurance companies might probably cover CBD oil.
