How Much Does Varicose Vein Treatment Cost Without Insurance?

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When people start to be affected by varicose veins, they will usually want to remedy this condition for health reasons or simply because of cosmetic concerns. However, how much does varicose vein treatment cost without insurance?

Varicose vein treatments cost from $300 to $500 per session for patients without health insurance. For those who need a few sessions of general treatment, it could cost upwards of $1,000. Other procedures for varicose vein relief can cost from $1,200 to $15,000 depending on the type of treatment.

Let’s go over how to best prevent and potentially treat varicose veins and how much it will cost for a doctor to treat varicose veins.

What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are the commonplace term used for a widespread condition that is caused by damaged or weak vein walls and valves.

When the valves in the veins or the vein walls themselves become weak or damaged, pools of blood can form in the veins or the blood can even start flowing backward instead of in its intended direction through the body. This distortion, damage, and growth of the veins are what lead to varicose veins forming.

Stage One Varicose Veins

There are six main stages of varicose vein development, often seen in the legs of affected people. Everyone’s case varies, but most people have varicose veins that started as spider veins. Sometimes, varicose veins progress to stage two quickly, and this is why speedy treatment is so important if a person is concerned about this condition. In stage one, the first spider vein phase, the veins are small and reddish-purple in color. They are most often visible on the legs but can also appear on the person’s ankles, neck, or face. 

Stage Two Varicose Veins

Stage two varicose veins are enlarged, ropy, and swollen. The affected areas may start to feel itchy, hot, or numb along the veins. The physical appearance of the veins can be accompanied by symptoms like weakness, tiredness, or aching in the legs. This is the best stage to treat varicose veins during.

Stage Three Varicose Veins

The third stage is when patients develop edema, which is swelling of the legs and ankles. The person’s circulatory system’s ability to reabsorb fluids is negatively impaired. Elevating the legs will only help relieve pain temporarily, and elevation doesn’t permanently cure varicose veins. 

Stage Four Varicose Veins

Stage four is when the skin changes and discolors. Poor circulation and congestion in the veins make the skin color and texture change to be more reddish-brown or white in color. The skin will feel leathery as the affected area gets brittle and is more prone to injury. 

Stage Five Varicose Veins

Stage five varicose veins cause the skin to develop itchy and potentially painful skin ulcers. These ulcers may leave scars.

Stage Six Varicose Veins

If you have stage six varicose veins, you will develop venous ulcers. These ulcers are often larger and more painful than the skin ulcers that occur during stage five.

Common Varicose Vein Symptoms

Sometimes, varicose veins do not even necessarily cause pain for the person they affect. Occasionally, the veins just look like dark purple or blue veins below the skin of the legs, or they may manifest as bulging or twisting cords on the legs. They may not cause pain yet, but if the veins progress to more severe stages, they can negatively affect people.

This could come in the form of a heavy feeling in the legs, physical aching, burning, throbbing, swelling in the lower legs, muscle cramping in the legs, pain following long periods of standing or sitting, itching, and changing skin color.

What Are the Common Causes of Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are often caused by blood pressure increasing inside a person’s veins. This can most often occur when a person is pregnant, constipated, has a tumor, is overweight, or is obese. People are also at a higher risk of developing varicose veins if they are older, sit and stand for extended periods of time, lead an inactive lifestyle, or have a pattern of varicose vein thrombosis in their family history. Women are also more likely than men to develop varicose veins.

What are the Treatment Options for Varicose Veins?

People can elevate their legs at no extra cost and can even buy compression socks that often aren’t very expensive to help relieve the pain of varicose veins in their legs. These solutions are all only temporary, however, so if these DIY solutions don’t work, and if people are still concerned about how their varicose veins look or how they feel, they can seek help from local healthcare providers.

The best thing to do is to book a consultation or appointment with a doctor to estimate how many treatment sessions will be required to remove or treat the varicose veins so that prices can be better estimated. A doctor will likely use an ultrasound test to evaluate the severity and style of the varicose veins and determine what kind of procedure will be best for the patient. From there, doctors will often use Closurefast, Venaseal, Varithena, or sclerotherapy to treat the patient’s varicose veins. Each procedure costs different amounts of money, especially if you don’t have health insurance.

Varicose Vein Treatment Costs Without Insurance

Depending on certain varicose vein treatments, the cost can get pretty high if you don’t have health insurance. Below, we will go over the average cost for each treatment without insurance.

Closurefast Treatment

Closurefast treatments, short for ClosureFast Radiofrequency Ablation, or RFA treatments, are often pretty costly for those without insurance. They typically cost between $3000 to $5000. This procedure involves a doctor gently applying targeted heat on the legs to close large saphenous veins that worsen varicose veins. After these veins are closed up by the heat, the blood in the legs will be rerouted and flow through healthier veins.

VenaSeal Treatment

VenaSeal vein treatments are one of the newest solutions to be utilized when dealing with varicose veins. This procedure requires ultrasound guidance and medical grade adhesives that cause lower extremity superficial truncal veins to close up for good.

This will, similar to the Closurefast method above, allow for blood to flow through different, healthier veins. VenaSeal is also minimally invasive since it is a medical-grade glue that is safe for the human body. It quickly and effectively treats both spider veins and varicose veins without the use of any pre-procedure drugs or anesthesia during the treatment. Since VenaSeal vein treatment doesn’t usually use heat, there is less risk of skin burns or nerve sensitivity during or after this treatment.

Varithena Treatment

Varithena procedures are a very advanced form of treatment for varicose veins. It involves foam injections, and the procedure often costs between $2000 to $3000. This cure is meant to be used to treat smaller varicose veins. It is a form of sclerotherapy and involves a doctor using a type of foam that is injected into the small, visible varicose veins. Varithena will also allow for the blood to be redirected. The foam eventually dissolves.

Sclerotherapy Treatment

Sclerotherapy is best used on first-stage varicose veins. People who don’t have health insurance can expect to pay about $300 to $500 per treatment session. The cost of this treatment varies by where you live and what type of medical facility the procedure is done in,

A person will usually need a few sessions of sclerotherapy to completely treat their varicose veins.

How to Make Varicose Vein Treatment More Affordable Without Insurance

Do you need varicose vein treatment but do not have insurance? There is no need to worry, as we have a few options that can make the cost of these varicose vein treatments a little more manageable if you do not have insurance to help you pay for the procedure.

Payment Plan

You may be able to pay for the varicose vein treatment by using a payment plan. Some doctors and offices allow payment through payment plans. This would make it so you do not have to pay the entire out-of-pocket cost upfront. Instead, you would be able to save up and pay the total cost in parts. While a payment plan won’t reduce the cost of varicose vein treatment, it will make the cost more manageable.

Work Flexible Spending Account

Some jobs have flexible spending accounts that allow you to put some of your paychecks into the account and use the money to pay for out-of-pocket health expenses. This spending account will make it easier for you to set aside money to pay for varicose vein treatment. Speak with your supervisor and see if this is an option for you.

Negotiate the Cost

Some doctor’s offices can negotiate the cost of varicose vein treatment with patients that don’t have health insurance. Call your doctor’s office and determine whether or not they can negotiate the cost of treatment with you.

How to Prevent Varicose Veins

After learning about all of the difficulties and complexities of varicose vein symptoms and the corresponding treatment costs, many people will now be understandably interested in learning how to prevent painful veins from forming in the first place.

To prevent varicose veins, consider losing weight. Losing weight can improve blood flow while also easing the amount of weight and pressure on the veins in your legs, ankles, and feet.

Healthier lifestyle changes can go a long way in stopping varicose veins in their tracks! Diet programs normally cost somewhere between $200 and $5,000 depending on the program. You can also diet without following a diet program.

However, keep in mind that overly vigorous or strenuous exercising could make varicose veins worse, so consult with a doctor before starting a new hardcore exercise regime. Swimming can prevent varicose veins, as it is an aerobic workout that doesn’t put very much stress on a person’s joints or bones.

People should also avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time, as doing so isn’t good for blood flow. If a person does need to sit for long periods of time, they should elevate their feet so that their legs are raised above the level of their heart. This will improve overall blood circulation and help the veins of the body. If you forget to stand up throughout the day, consider getting a smartwatch that can remind you to do so. Smartwatches cost $20 to $50, although some smart watches cost a lot more.

Cost of Varicose Vein Treatment Recovery

Another additional cost that may come up during the process of receiving varicose vein treatment is the costs you will encounter while recovering from treatment. You can typically go back to your normal life right after varicose vein treatment, but it is suggested that you take it easy and buy a couple of things to make recovery a little bit easier for you. Here are those suggested items and their costs.

Compression Bandages

Compression bandages typically cost between $15 and $30. Some doctors may suggest putting compression bandages on the treated area after varicose vein treatment to help reduce bruising. This is not usually required and is an optional cost.

Food That is Easy on The Stomach

After varicose vein treatment, you may be a bit nauseous, so it is suggested that the patient buy and eat food that is light and easy on the stomach. Food like apple sauce, bananas, and bread is best for nauseous stomachs. Food like this will not usually cost more than $20 altogether.

Overall, it can be quite expensive to receive treatment for varicose veins if you don’t have insurance. Luckily, unless they become worse, varicose veins don’t need to be treated immediately, so you have time to save up for the treatment that will work best for you and your body. However, keep in mind that the worse the varicose veins become, the more expensive it will be for a doctor to treat them.

If your varicose veins become painful, don’t put off treatment, as there are things that you can do to make treatment more affordable, especially if you don’t have health insurance.

No Insurance? 

When it comes to your healthcare, most people think that their only options are to pay for expensive Health Insurance or try out your luck being uninsured.

The great news is that you have a third option; You can join a Health Share plan that is affordable and meets your needs! Health Sharing programs are one of the most effective and affordable alternatives to Health Insurance. 

If you don’t know what a Health Share is, you can start here to learn how it works and why it’s a great alternative to health insurance. If you are looking for affordable healthcare, I highly recommend checking out my article about the Best Health Share Plans.