
Essential tremor treatment can be costly, but does insurance cover it? The good news is that most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover some form of treatment for essential tremor.
Many insurance plans cover medication, such as beta blockers and anticonvulsants, which are often used to treat essential tremor. In fact, a study found that over 70% of insurance plans cover these medications.
Insurance coverage for deep brain stimulation, a surgical treatment for essential tremor, varies. Some insurance plans may cover the procedure, but others may not. According to the American Academy of Neurology, about 40% of insurance plans cover deep brain stimulation.
In some cases, insurance may not cover alternative treatments like acupuncture or physical therapy, but these treatments can still be beneficial for managing essential tremor symptoms.
Insurance Coverage
Insurance coverage for essential tremor treatment has made significant progress in recent years. Aetna is the first national payor to cover MR-guided Focused Ultrasound for treating medication-refractory Essential Tremor.

This decision marks a major milestone in expanding patient access to non-Medicare patients. Aetna's coverage decision is a huge step forward.
Focused ultrasound treatment for medication-refractory Essential Tremor is covered under Medicare in all 50 states. This coverage provides a significant advantage for patients who are eligible.
Currently, there are more than 60 Treatment Centers around the world using Insightec's Exablate Neuro platform to treat Essential Tremor patients on a regular basis.
Insightec Announces Aetna Coverage for MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound
Aetna is the first national payor to cover MR-guided Focused Ultrasound for treating medication-refractory Essential Tremor.
This is a huge step in expanding patient access to non-Medicare patients, according to Dee Kolanek, Insightec Vice President of Reimbursement.
Focused ultrasound is performed in a single, outpatient procedure with many patients showing immediate improvement of tremor in the treated hand with minimal complications.
More than 60 Treatment Centers around the world use Insightec's Exablate Neuro platform to treat Essential Tremor patients on a regular basis.
Essential Tremor, a movement disorder that causes uncontrollable shaking, affects an estimated ten million Americans.
You might like: Does Insurance Cover Ultrasound
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does essential tremor treatment cost?
The cost of essential tremor treatment is approximately $10,000, although this may be subject to change after a two-year reevaluation by CMS. Treatment costs may vary, and more information is available on the CMS website.
Sources
- https://essentialtremor.org/does-medicare-cover-essential-tremor-what-you-need-to-know/
- https://www.fusfoundation.org/posts/nationwide-medicare-reimbursement-of-focused-ultrasound-for-essential-tremor/
- https://insightec.com/news/aetna-coverage-for-esssential-tremor/
- https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncd.aspx
- https://insightec.com/patients/essential-tremor-treatment/
Featured Images: pexels.com