A keloid is a type of scar that appears on one's skin seemingly without a reason. Widely considered to be hereditary, they appear mostly on people with highly pigmented skin but can affect any individual of any age at any time regardless of race or ethnicity. They are not to be confused with hypertrophic scars, but are similar in that they both typically start with an injury to the skin. In the case of a keloid sometimes very minor injuries or even by something as simple as shaving, mild acne or an ingrown hair.

Nearly all health insurance companies consider keloids to be a cosmetic issue until, for example, such time that they grow large enough to restrict movement or eyesight. It’s not until then that they will offer coverage for treatment and/or removal. This is tremendously unfair to the many people who suffer with keloids. These people know that keloids are much more than simply a cosmetic issue. They're painful, they bleed, itch, get infected, are generally irritating, reduce or eliminate the sense of touch, can feel tumorous and inhibit hair growth; among many other ailments.

Along with the physical discomfort comes enormous amounts of mental anguish. Keloids are unsightly, fairly uncommon and misunderstood - leaving one open to potentially embarrassing questions, commentary and ridicule. For a person in their teen years (when keloids begin to appear for many) having them can be downright traumatizing. Most sufferers live for decades having people assume that they are sick, diseased, unhygienic or disfigured. They’ll wonder how this medical problem has affected their performance on a job interview or romantic date and avoid any social situation where their keloids may be exposed. They’ll spend countless amounts of time and money on over -the-counter or mail-order products and removal methods only to realize that all they were sold was a sense of false hope. They’ll take pills and rub on creams that normally only result in unpleasant side effects with little benefit. In extreme cases they'll become so depressed over their condition that they'll attempt suicide.

Some insurance companies do offer coverage for certain treatments, such as corticosteroid injections or laser therapy, but for many patients these are simply not enough. While helpful, these treatments have become obsolete and are effective only in reducing the problem, at best. An infuriating part of keloids is that while they can easily be excised surgically (assuming one has the funds) they often grow back much larger than they were originally.  

In recent years very effective new treatments, mostly involving cryogenics, have appeared. These methods boast a very high success rate of not only removal, but also at preventing regrowth - all without having to consume medicine and/or have a large incision made or spend years in doctors’ waiting rooms. And perhaps most importantly without ever reaching the point where a keloid has grown so large that it effects free movement of the appendages and skin or effects one of the senses, such as vision.

What I and the people who sign this petition are asking for is to have health insurance companies STOP dismissing keloids as a cosmetic issue that people would electively choose to treat, when they ARE paying for things like erectile dysfunction! Keloids are a real medical condition and should be viewed as such.  While no treatment is known to be 100% effective and prevention is nearly impossible, by offering more coverage for treatments that have a high success rate the insurance companies are DOING THE RIGHT THING for the very people who sustain their existence by purchasing insurance in the first place. There is a also a potential long-term benefit for the insurance companies in cases where they are paying for the treatments they do currently cover for years on end as opposed to a much smaller time frame for the newer, more expensive treatments.

Expanded treatment could also provide lots of statistical data, which is currently lacking, as far as which treatments work best - resulting in much better care and success rates for future generations. 

I am appealing to you on a personal level for myself and the many other sufferers who I know are out there, some of whom I've connected with via social media. I am a healthy 31 year old male in the New York City, USA area who has been living with this problem for nearly 17 years. In that time I was misdiagnosed, seen by countless highly-regarded doctors, tried many of the best available treatments (everything from compression pads, to cream regimens, to chemical peels, to oral medicine, to having cancer treatment medicines injected along with the typical corticosteroid and laser treatments) spending lots of money in the process, only to partially rid myself of this very persistent disease. The only luck I've had is with cryotherapy and the same goes for nearly everyone I've spoken to. A quick online search will reveal the benefits and success rates of cryotherapy. The problem is the cost and the fact that health insurance companies seem to have NO interest whatsoever in footing the bill for something that is almost guaranteed to help their customers.

Thank you for reading and PLEASE sign the petition!