Winona is an online provider of bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). While their products could potentially be covered by your medical or prescription insurance, Winona has chosen not to accept insurance. Instead, they offer bioidentical HRT at a price that is comparable to or even lower than what you would pay through your insurance.
I have compared a 3-month supply when I used my prescription insurance to a 3-Monthly supply of Winona and they are literally less than $10 difference, depending on the exact products you are being prescribed. Also, because all HRT requires a prescription, you'll have the cost of doc appointment on top of whatever your out of pocket is with insurance. However, with Winona they don't require a 1:1 consult, so that also saves you time and money.
What Insurance covers HRT?
When I first started on HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) back in 2019, I assumed it wouldn't be covered by insurance. Mainly, because the doc who was prescribing it made it sound like getting it through a compounding pharmacy was the only option. Today, however I understand, that any HRT medications in doses that have been approved by the FDA will be covered by traditional medical insurance and prescription insurance.
Is Hormone replacement therapy covered by insurance
Yes, if the ingredient is approved by the FDA and is in a dosage that has been approved by the FDA, then it's a formulation that can be prescribed, picked up at your local pharmacy and covered by most medical insurance providers.
What's not covered are the customized dosages that can be prescribed and fulfilled by compounding pharmacies. For example, if your HRT doc prescribes Estradiol cream, this is a product that is approved by the FDA. However, if your doctor wants you have the cream in a customized dose, then it will not be covered.
Winona prescribes Bioidentical Hormone Replacement
Winona is a legitimate, online Hormone Replacement provider. They offer bioidentical HRT in standard and customized doses. Winona's business model includes that they don't accept or help you navigate your insurance, but honestly that's not a bad thing in this case, keep reading. They also don't require a 1:1 doctor consult, which saves you the consumer and they as the provider time and money.
Winona - How do they Work?
Their process is simple and quick to complete. No blood work. No Labs required. No appointment necessary.
You'll provide the information required on the medical in-take form. Once you establish your account. Start here to get 15% off your first order, they'll send you a link to their free, HIPAA compliant, secure patient portal. You'll begin to get messages from your assigned Winona doctor.
They'll make recommendations and providing pricing for all of the products they suggest. You don't even need to take time out for a 1:1 telemedicine appointment. All communication is via their patient portal.
Winona Products and Pricing
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement typically comes in gels, creams, patches, tablets, pills and sprays. Your Winona HRT specialist can answer any questions you may have regarding the different formulations.
Products Offered:
DHEA Pills - $27/3 Mos
Estrogen Body Cream - $89/Mo
Estrogen w/Progesterone - $89/Mo
Estrogen Patch - $149/Mo
Estrogen Tablet - $45/Mo
Progesterone Body Cream - $89/Mo
Progesterone Caplet - $39/Mo
Vaginal Estrogen Cream - $89/Mo
Blossom (female Viagra cream) - $79/Order
Estriol Face Cream with Tretinoin - $149.99/3-Month Supply
All products are sold in a 90-day supply, unless otherwise noted. Also, Winona can accept HSA or FSA credit cards for purchase of their Hormone Replacement Therapy products.
My first 3-month supply from Winona included the Estrogen w/Progesterone Cream and the DHEA pills. My total cost was $224 for 90-days of both products.
What you need to know before you start HRT with Winona
There are a handful of things to consider as you begin to research Hormone Replacement Therapy and the long-term benefits it offers.
Do you want a 1:1 doctor consultation? If you do, then Winona may not be the best fit for you. If you are good with all communication between you and the HRT doc being via their patient portal and if you don't want to take the time out for the consultation visit, then Winona could be a great fit for you.
Since you won't be using your prescription insurance, there will be no guessing on what each refill will cost you. Every time I used my prescription insurance to get HRT, the cost was different even though it was the exact products and the exact same pharmacy.
Winona only offers Bioidentical HRT. They have chosen to use ingredients approved by the FDA but may in some cases prescribe a customized dose to ensure you get the exact right ratio of estrogen to progesterone that works best for you.
No standing in line at the local pharmacy. Winona partners with a compounding pharmacy who will ship the medications directly to your home. Easy, Peasy!
The last thing to understand is that you may have to experiment a bit to get it just right for you. I started out on the Winona Estrogen/Progesterone Cream but since, switched to the estrogen patch and progesterone tablets. We are all different and you will want to be open knowing you may have some trial and error before it's just right for you.
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