Get Your End-of-Year Treatment to Kick Allergies, Asthma, and Sinus Problems to the Curb

The end of the year means it’s time to think about getting the most out of your health insurance or flexible spending account. Many health insurance plans are tied to the calendar year, which means if you’ve met your deductible for the year, now is a great time to schedule an appointment for allergy testing. And if a treatment like allergy immunotherapy is appropriate for you, your testing and initial order for your allergy shot serum might be mostly, or fully, covered by your plan. Take advantage of your health benefits now, don’t lose them! If you’re unsure if you’ve met your deductible or what is covered by your insurance, we can speak directly with your insurance provider and confirm what is covered.

How Do Deductibles Work?

A deductible is an amount of money you need to pay out of pocket before your insurance activates and covers the balance. It varies on the type of medical service and insurance provider. You’ll want to carefully review your plan, especially the Explanation of Benefits (EOB), or call your insurance company to check on your deductible amount.

Since most insurance plans expire at the end of December and do not roll over into the next year, you will have to pay your deductibles again starting January 1. You may have met your deductible early in the year but even if you haven’t, November or December isn’t too late to put your insurance benefits to good use! Making the most of your coverage is a smart financial move and getting timely medical care helps you lead a healthier, symptom-free life.

Why Now is a Great Time to See the Allergist:

The end of the year also coincides with the onset of cooler temperatures and people spending more time indoors. If you are sensitive to ‘indoor allergens’, November through February can be a difficult time. Winter allergy triggers include:

• Dust mites
• Animal Dander
• Molds
• Cockroach droppings

Symptoms of an allergy can include:

• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose/nasal congestion
• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Postnasal drip
• Itchy eyes, nose, and throat

Some of these symptoms can be confused with those of a cold, virus, and COVID-19. Allergy testing can confirm what you are, or are not, allergic to and can bring peace of mind during cold and flu season.

Winter season can also be especially dangerous for people with asthma. Asthma can be triggered by exposure to the cold/dry air of winter. Increased exposure to viral infections during these winter months is an additional concern for asthmatics. It is important to be current on all vaccines including the annual flu shot and COVID-19. Increase hand hygiene, avoid contact with sick individuals, and continue your medications as prescribed.

Schedule a visit with a CAA allergy expert to discuss symptom control and to update treatment plans as needed. The better your baseline health going into this season, the better you will be able to fight any infections that come your way.

Let CAA Develop a Plan That Will Have You Ready for Next Spring

Now is the ideal time to discuss, and perhaps start, treatment plans before the spring allergy season. Most allergy medications should be started in advance of the onset of symptoms. If your symptoms were not well controlled last season, schedule a visit to discuss an updated treatment plan. Treatment options might include:

• Allergy medications, both over the counter and prescription medications including nasal steroid sprays, eyedrops, oral tablets, and liquid medicines.
• Allergy immunotherapy, a very effective treatment for reducing symptoms of nasal allergies (hay fever), and may also reduce the occurrence of sinus infections, and asthma problems.
• Many people have met their deductible by the end of the year, and insurance may cover all or most of the cost of allergy testing and serum for shots.

There is no better time than the end of the year to seek necessary allergy treatments! At Center for Allergy & Asthma of Georgia, we will take the following measures to help identify the source of your allergy and asthma symptoms:

• Skin testing to discover which allergies are causing the symptoms
• Perform lung testing and identify asthma triggers
• Develop treatment plans like allergy shots or drops (immunotherapy) or other necessary treatments to curb the symptoms and bring relief
• Follow-up visits to the allergist to help manage the condition in the future

At the Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia, we care about your experience at our office, and after you leave. If you have any questions, call us today at (770) 727-3142 for more information.