Modern CannaThough medical marijuana is legal in Florida, it might take years before patients are able to receive insurance coverage for cannabis treatments. The federal government will need to reclassify marijuana as a legal substance, the FDA will need to conduct lengthy trials, and insurance companies will need to determine how it will cover this medical treatment option.
Barriers to Medical Coverage for Marijuana
Insurance is one of the big issues in the quickly changing world of medical marijuana. The legal status of medical cannabis is quickly changing in some places while it isn’t changing at all in others, particularly at the federal level.
Insurance companies are federally regulated, which can pose challenges to covering a medical product that is still classified as a schedule 1 illegal substance under federal law. The same logic applies to government assistant programs. Medicare is a federally-funded program, and Medicaid is funded jointly by the state and federal governments. Until medical marijuana is recognized as legal on a national level, insurance companies will have their hands tied.
Even if a federal law were to pass tomorrow legalizing medical cannabis, though, insurance companies won’t be immediately adding it to their coverage list. Most insurance companies will not cover a drug if it isn’t approved by The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA approval entails lengthy research, lab testing, and long trials to determine the quality and long-term effects of a drug.
This makes it particularly important to standardize the medical marijuana industry and put forth proper testing that ensures marijuana quality control. At our Florida testing labs, we are taking the initiative in this area and helping cannabis companies produce and distribute products that reach stringent health, safety, and quality standards.
Covering your doctor visits
While insurance companies won’t dish out the dough for costs related to medical marijuana, you may still be able to have them cover your doctor visits. If you are visiting your doctor for other concerns in addition to your medical marijuana questions and treatment plans, the insurance company should still cover your visit as stated in your policy.
As long as medical marijuana isn’t the sole purpose of your appointment, your insurance company should accept and cover your visit.
Pushing forward for medical marijuana insurance coverage
At Modern Canna Labs, we work with clients to ensure that people have access to safe, healthy, and high-quality medical marijuana. With the services offered at our Florida testing laboratory, businesses in the cannabis industry can feel confident in knowing the exact potency levels of their products, and test for potential contaminants. Contact us today to see how we can help you produce better products that your patients can trust.