I have requested an epilogist referral for my daughter who was recently placed on Trileptal. She had denied my requesting statting that epilogist are typically for patients who have tried 4 to 5 meds unsuccessfuly. Is this true?

By colelu May 31, 2006 at 07:31pm

Answer:

There is no one definition on when a person should see an epileptologist. Different insurance plans, however, may make their own rules on when they will cover costs associated with seeing a specialist. Personally, if a person of any age is having seizures and questions about appropriate medications are present, referral to an epilepsy specialist may be helpful. Whether or not ongoing care is needed from the epileptologist, or if he or she can be used in consultation with general neurologist should be individualized.

People who have problems obtaining permisson or coverage for care should ask the insurance company for copy of the policy and can appeal a decision in writing to the company. Here is a link to the National Association of Epilepsy Centers - they may be able to help with questions about guidelines or accessing care through insurance companies.

www.naecepilepsy.org/consumers/consumers.html

Hope this helps!

Best wishes,