{"id":24015,"date":"2022-09-28T08:00:50","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T12:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=24015"},"modified":"2022-09-26T16:42:17","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T20:42:17","slug":"ask-a-budtender-is-cannabis-covered-by-health-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/ask-a-budtender-is-cannabis-covered-by-health-insurance\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask a Budtender: Is Cannabis Covered by Health Insurance?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Question:\u00a0<\/b>I live in a state with legal cannabis and started shopping at my local dispensary a few times a month. I\u2019m grateful the dispensary is there, but I\u2019m honestly surprised by how costly everything is! It\u2019s rare for me to leave without spending $200 or more. <\/span>Is cannabis covered by health insurance? I\u2019m confused about why my health insurance premium doesn\u2019t cover at least some of my monthly costs because I use cannabis to manage my mental health. Please advise!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cannabis Coach Haley’s Answer:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span>I\u2019m glad you have access to legal cannabis in your state; that\u2019s a step in the right direction for sure. I\u2019m not sure where you live, but for me here in Illinois, I pay more than double what my friends in California pay for the same exact product. So I know what you mean about the expenses adding up quickly\u2014there can be some serious sticker shock involved with dispensary shopping.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the cannabis industry gets bigger and more widespread, the hope is that prices will go down. Right now, however, many folks feel like dispensary prices are way too high. While it\u2019s true that the cost to start a dispensary or cannabis cultivation center is very high, the customer often gets left holding the bill a lot of the time. So w<\/span>hat are some ways you can lower your monthly spending at the dispensary? Can it be covered by your insurance company?<\/span><\/p>\n

As a budtender, this topic comes up often, and I\u2019ve got some ideas that could help you save money and still get the products you need!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Health Insurance and Cannabis<\/b><\/h2>\n

To answer part of your question right off the bat, cannabis is not covered by health insurance in the United States at this time.\u00a0 Even if you\u2019re a medical cannabis patient and your doctor has signed off on a medical cannabis card for you, your cannabis purchases will not be covered by health insurance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is from my local <\/span>Department of Public Health website<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAt this time, health insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare do not cover medical cannabis costs. All registered patients are responsible for the application fee and the cost of purchasing medical cannabis.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I had several customers attempt to use their Health Savings Account or get reimbursement from their employer, but I\u2019ve personally never seen a successful attempt for medical cannabis. Some employers will allow reimbursements for CBD products (since CBD is federally legal in the U.S.), but they will not cover medical cannabis reimbursements.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This may change in the future once cannabis becomes more available and widespread, but since cannabis is still federally illegal, no insurance companies have jumped on the opportunity to cover the costs for their members yet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Get Your Medical Cannabis Card\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

So, then, how can you save money at the dispensary? I always always always suggest getting your medical cannabis card if that\u2019s an option in your state. Not sure what the cannabis laws are in your state? You can read up on the latest policies in your state on Veriheal’s website<\/a>. <\/span>Right now, 37 out of 50 states in the U.S. have some sort of medical cannabis program, so you never know what options might be available in your area! Head to this article<\/a> to find out if your state offers medical cannabis for mental conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because I\u2019m a medical cannabis patient, I\u2019m able to shop from a menu that has a bigger cannabis selection and lower prices than folks who are buying from the recreational cannabis menu. In Illinois, I only pay a 1% tax, while folks without a medical cannabis card will have a 10-25% tax added to their bill! Check out these articles for more information on medical versus recreational cannabis:<\/span><\/p>\n