Can you get ring splints covered by insurance?
I'm curious, have you ever heard of 'ring splints'? Comment below and let me know!
You're about to get the ENTIRE scoop on them!
What the heck are ring splints?
Just like they sound, they are splints for your finger(s) or your thumb that actually look quite like jewelry! 💍
Ring splints can do one of a few things, depending on what you want to use them for:
prevent hyperextension (or, an unhelpful 'backward' motion) of your finger joints
stabilize your thumb joints (perfect for if you have a 'collapsing' thumb from either hypermobility or arthritis)
provide lateral support to your finger joints to prevent either sideways slipping/instability common in hypermobility, or to correct 'crooked finger' deformity often seen with arthritis
How can I get them?
There are a few ways you could get your hands (pun always intended) on ring splints.
- MEASURED & ORDERED BY A HAND THERAPIST -
👉 Make sure you get a doctor's order specific for ring splints, and find a hand therapist that has a measuring kit for Silver Ring Splints (in the US) & can measure and order for you.
👉 Silver Ring Splints has a provider directory to find a therapist in your area who can measure them for you, because not all therapists know how to or have the measuring kit.
- SELF MEASUREMENT / ORDERING -
👉 If these medical grade ring splints are too expensive for you, and/ or you don't have access to a hand clinic that can do this for you, consider measuring and ordering yourself online!
👉 Some of my favorite brands for online ordering / self measurement include Eva Belle Jewelry and Zebra Splints (although, our community has let me know that Zebra Splints has been extremely behind with order processing due to health issues, so it may be better to stick with an Etsy supplier such as Eva Belle Jewelry if you want splints promptly).
👉 These types of self-ordering brands have thorough measuring instructions on their websites, and oftentimes all you need is a cheap plastic ring sizer (hellooooo ring sizer from Amazon for $2.99).
I'm sold, Corinne. But they are pricey. Can I get them covered by my insurance?
Unfortunately, there isn't a great definitive answer on this and it can depend on your insurance provider and how you go about obtaining ring splints.
If you're self-measuring and ordering through a website such as Eva Belle Jewelry or Zebra Splints, most often the answer is no, insurances will not cover ring splints, but it's worth calling your insurance and asking if there is any way for them to reimburse you for this (is it a doctor's order/note? filling out a form? etc.).
If you're going the route of Silver Ring Splints, it also varies! Sometimes insurances will cover in full, or will partially cover, and I have also seen them not cover at all. Silver Ring Splints doesn't bill insurance; but the provider who is measuring you for ring splints can sometimes bill insurance for them.
It's worth asking the provider measuring you for Silver Ring Splints if they/their facility is a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider; because often, if this is the case, they can bill your insurance for ring splints.
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