The World is Starting to Recognize Us
Plus, traveling abroad for surgery, and Lipedema in the media
If you’ve recently scoured the internet, you’ll see Lipedema is becoming recognized internationally. Along with the U.S., other countries are also jumping on board the Lipedema treatment wagon, including liposuction (Lipedema reduction) surgery.
Although Germany is the most advanced nation in the world for Lipedema treatment, other countries are following suit!
After only two minutes of personally searching, this is what I found:
Better Health Channel—Australia
Lipoedeme France—France
Lipodem.com (Lipedema surgeon)—Turkey
Euro.pari—European Parliament
Turan&Turan (Lipedema surgeon)—Turkey
Lipemedical (lipedema surgeon)—Spain
Jönköping University—Sweden
Lipocura—Germany
These are only a few of the many international places where you can learn more about lipedema and receive liposuction treatment.
Why is this good news for those of us who live in the United States?
I’m thrilled that Lipedema has become much more well-known in the past two years!
Why?
Having worldwide recognition and treatment is a positive step because it brings to light our illness. It is the reason why I recommend getting a formal diagnosis into your medical chart and why I encourage women to get their surgeries paid through insurance rather than paying out-of-pocket. The more we do this, the more the medical and insurance community are compelled to look at Lipedema.
From what I’m seeing, Lipedema is currently on the verge of being fully covered by insurance. It is following a common scenario that other medical conditions have gone through that weren’t covered in the past but now are.
For example, other medical surgeries were, in the past, sought out abroad, or patients paid for their own surgeries because of U.S. insurance non-payment: bariatric surgery, transgender surgery, or breast reconstruction after mastectomy, as examples. It wasn’t until the condition either became widely known or a federal law was passed (such as the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998) that insurance companies started covering these surgeries.
I see this happening with Lipedema.
However, the U.S. medical and insurance systems move slowly.
And right now, many women are deciding to travel abroad and pay out-of-pocket for surgery if they run into problems with their insurance.
Even out-of-pocket costs alone can be more spendy for the travel and accomodations in the U.S. (typically not covered by insurance). Especially when you have multiple surgeries and must travel (including a companion) for each one.
This is especially true for women who are getting denied by insurance, including HMOs, and Medicare.
The surge of plastic surgeons in other parts of the world gives more access to care for women who decide to be treated abroad.
With all of this information, I feel even more confident that Lipedema treatment is going in the right direction, which is getting our care covered by all insurance.
Did you see the US Weekly Magazine article on Lipedema?
“She Was Fat-Shamed Her Whole Life, Turns Out She Has a Connective Tissue Disease Called Lipedema”
Dr. Schwartz is amping up his game with an article in US Weekly to shed more light on Lipedema. And if you’re on TikTok or IG, you’ve likely seen Cara Cruz, otherwise called palegingerpear.
Publicity like this is great because it opens up more doors to awareness of our condition. If you’d like to read the article online, click the title!
I’ve been working hard with a fellow Lipedema partner on constructing workshops “How to Strategize a Lipedema Diagnosis” and “The Quick and Dirty Preauth Workshop”. Currently, I’m set up to provide the preauth workshop on January 17th, 2024!
If you’d like to attend this workshop, let me know in the comments or email me at mabjaqua@gmail.com. I’ll keep you in mind when I set up the actual workshop invite and send it directly to you. You will not be obligated to take the course; your interest is only to get the invite.
If you are an annual subscriber, you can attend all of my workshops for free! With my annual subscription, I also gift you a 25-minute 1:1 phone call with me to help get you moving wherever you are on your Lipedema journey.
This is the annual fee subscription only, not the monthly subscription (who wants to keep paying every month anyway?) If you’re interested, subscribe below, and then you’ll get prompts in your email on the 1:1 phone call appointment.
Take care and Happy Holidays!
Michelle