As of October 2024, stem cell therapies are usually not covered by routine insurance. Some companies have self-directed private insurance, others for workers. Some self-managed private insurance companies, other workers' compensation companies, and the military (elite military units) cover stem cell concentration procedures by bone marrow aspiration (BMAC). In reality, most insurance companies don't cover stem cell therapy, since it's still considered experimental.
Certain procedures, such as bone marrow stem cell transplants in hematology or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, may be exempt from standard policies. However, beyond these specific cases, patients often have to cover the full cost themselves. The short answer to the question is probably no. Insurance providers consider these orthobiological treatments to be “experimental” or “speculative”.
Most health insurance providers would prefer alternative treatment. They focus on medications and procedures that have been well studied and have undergone clinical trials. If you're diagnosed with a condition that may require a stem cell transplant, we can help you determine the benefits your particular policy has access to. You can let us know by calling our claims team directly or using the MyAviva online portal.
The wonderful thing is that regenerative therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma, joint fluid replacement and stem cell therapy, are covered by most pet insurance companies in the UK. In the Anthem policy on the use of stem cells, MSC therapy is considered to be in the research phase for orthopedic applications, since “there are few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in humans to support the safety and efficacy of using MSC therapy for orthopedic indications.” Any other treatment is still classified as experimental, and these organizations conservatively exclude it from coverage, meaning that it's rare for insurance to cover stem cell therapy. Cigna's policy, entitled “Stem Cell Therapy for Orthopedic Applications,” states that MSC therapy is “experimental,” “under investigation,” or “not checked” for all indications.
