What Do Endovascular Clinics Do?

Endovascular clinics, as the name suggests, are medical treatment facilities that specialize in endovascular treatments, that is, advanced, minimally invasive surgical interventions performed with modern devices to treat various infections of the blood vessels, such as aneurysms or the blockages that appear in arteries because of peripheral artery disease or thrombosis. The methods used in endovascular clinics make use of the most modern technologies and replace conventional, open surgical interventions with surgery performed with the help of special needles, catheters, balloons and other, usually image-guided, advanced solutions.

The Specialists Who Work in Endovascular Clinics

The specialist that patients can turn to in endovascular clinics are usually surgeons who have received special training to handle the modern devices used in endovascular surgery or interventional radiologists who are also medical specialists who have undergone further training to learn how to perform particular image-guided interventions.

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The Conditions that Are Treated in Endovascular Clinics

An endovascular surgeon near me treats a variety of conditions, including infections that could be treated with more conventional methods. The patient may opt for minimally invasive endovascular solutions, as well as conditions for which the advanced endovascular interventions are the only option. Here are some examples:

  • Conditions that affect the aorta, such as dissections or aneurysms;
  • Infections of the cardiovascular system that involve the formation of fat build-ups or of complete blockages;
  • Venous insufficiency – ineffective circulation that usually affects the legs;
  • Critical limb ischemia – the complete blockage or the severe narrowing that reduces or stops the blood flow to a limb;
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – the appearance of blood clots in the deep veins of the body, most commonly in the legs;
  • Peripheral artery disease – the limitation of blood flow to the legs caused by the narrowing of the major blood vessels;
  • Pulmonary embolism – blood clotting that forms in the legs or in the arms and that threatens to travel to the lungs;
  • Renal vascular disease – the narrowing of the major blood vessels leading to the kidneys;
  • Stroke – blood flow to the brain that has been partially or completely blocked by a blood clot.

The Methods Used

The treatment methods used by Endovascular clinics include solutions performed with needles or with other tools that do not require large cuts. The best examples include:

  • Ablation – the sealing of veins with the help of heat;
  • Artery bypass – the rerouting of blood flow around a blocked section of the artery with the help of a graft;
  • Procedures that use injections to target and to dissolve blood clots;
  • Embolization – the treatment intended to cut off the blood flow to certain types of benign tumors, such as uterine fibroids or prostate enlargements.

The Benefits of Endovascular Treatments

The treatments performed at modern endovascular clinics usually deploy the most advanced medical technology available today. As a result, the interventions take shorter to perform and many of the interventions that could be previously performed only under complete anesthesia can today be done using a milder form of sedation that is not so demanding on the patient’s body. Modern and vascular interventions also come with the benefit of much shorter healing times and also a healing period that is less painful and less difficult for the patient.

What Is a Medicare Advantage Plan?

A Medicare Advantage plan is a special kind of health insurance plan available for people over the age of 65 from private insurance companies, an alternative to the Original Medicare plan’s parts. For a clearer understanding of the Medicare Advantage system, let’s have a look at the Original Medicare program and the components that Advantage plans provide an alternative to and some important features of Medicare Advantage plans.

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Things to Know about Original Medicare

Medicare is practically the federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and for people younger than that age who suffer from disabilities or certain illnesses, such as end-stage renal disease. Medicare includes a set of services grouped under so-called Parts. Here is what each Part involves:

  • Medicare Part A – this part covers the costs related to hospital stays as well as for care in a skilled nursing facility or in a hospice facility for a certain amount of time. Most people who have Part A insurance do not pay a premium; those who do not qualify for premium-free Part A can choose to buy Part A for a monthly premium;
  • Medicare Part B – this part covers for the outpatient services provided in doctor’s offices and for certain preventive services. Part B comes for a premium for everyone. The actual amount to be paid by the beneficiary on a monthly basis is calculated based on the beneficiary’s income;
  • Medicare Part D – this part represents the coverage for prescription drugs. The coverage might be complete for some types of prescription medication and partial for others.

Things to Know about Medicare Advantage

As you see, Part C is missing from the list above and that is because Part C is what used to be Medicare + Choice and what is now Medicare Advantage. Advantage plans offer beneficiaries access to the same services as Original Medicare, but they are provided by private insurers and they not only bundle Part A, Part B and usually Part D as well, but they also offer additional coverage, such as visual coverage, hearing aids and dental care.

Medicare Advantage plans being offered by private insurers, they always come for monthly premiums. Those premiums are likely to be higher than Original Medicare premiums, but Advantage plans also include an upper limit for the share to be covered by the patient – a feature that is not available with the Original plans.

Help Available If Needed

Advantage plans are usually available from insurers on a regional basis and they might vary considerably in terms of premiums and conditions. The abundance of features and options available might make the task of putting together the right policy daunting, but fortunately, there is help – through independent Medicare Denver insurance professionals, agents or brokers who can provide expert guidance related to the available options. These insurance professionals can also provide assistance with the paperwork related to enrolling into the program chosen as well as help to meet the deadlines related to the enrollment.