Phototherapy is treatment for certain skin diseases that exposes the affected skin to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light (UVL) is light which is beyond the violet range in the spectrum. It consists of various subdivisions including long wave length ultraviolet light A (UVA) and shorter wave length ultraviolet light B (UVB).

Actinotherapy (Ultraviolet Light)

Ultraviolet Light B (UVB) may be considered medically necessary for patients who have not responded to conservative treatment and ANY ONE of the following:

• Mycosis Fungoides (T-Cell Lymphoma); or
• Sezary's Disease; or
• Psoriasis; or
• Atopic Dermatitis/Severe Eczema; or
• Pruritus of Renal Disease; or
• Pruritus of Malignancy; or
• Parapsoriasis; or
• Dyshidrotic Eczema; or
• Vitiligo; or
• Polymorphic Light Eruptions; or
• Lichen Planus; or
• Pityriasis Lichenoides; or
• Pityriasis Rosea; or
• Pruritic Eruptions of HIV.

Ultraviolet light therapy provided for patients with vitiligo is limited to those patients whose condition affects ANY ONE of the following:

• The skin of the face and/or neck area, or
• Other body areas in excess of 30% of skin surface.

Ultraviolet Light A (UVA) without topical preparations may be considered medically necessary for ANY ONE of the following conditions:

• Acne; or
• Eczema; or
• Eosinophilic Folliculitis; or
• Other Pruritic Eruptions of HIV; or
• Lichen Planus; or
• Morphea; or
• Parapsoriasis; or
• Photodermatoses; or
• Pityriasis Lichenoides; or
• Pityriasis Rosea; or
• Prurigo Nodularis; or
• Psoriasis; or
• Atopic Dermatitis; or
• Chronic Urticaria; or
• Mycosis Fungoides; or
• Pruritus of Renal Failure; or
• Vitiligo.

Actinotherapy (Ultraviolet Light) is considered not medically necessary for all other conditions.

Laser UVB

Excimer and pulsed dye laser may be considered medically necessary for ANY ONE of the following conditions:

• Mild to moderate localized plaque psoriasis affecting 10% or less of body area for persons who have failed to adequately respond to three or more months of topical treatments, including at least three of the following with or without standard non-laser ultraviolet actinotherapy:
  • Anthralin;
  • Corticosteroids (e.g., betamethasone dipropionate ointment and fluocinonide cream);
  • Keratolytic agents (e.g., lactic acid, salicylic acid, and urea);
  • Retinoids (e.g., tazarotene); 
  • Tar preparations; 
  • Vitamin D derivatives (e.g., calcipotriene);
• Vitiligo of the face and hands.

No more than thirteen treatments per course and three courses per year are considered medically necessary. If the member fails to respond to an initial course of laser therapy, additional courses are not considered medically necessary.

Combination use of pulsed dye laser and ultraviolet B is considered experimental and investigational for the treatment of persons with localized plaque psoriasis,  and therefore, non-covered because the safety and/or effectiveness of this service cannot be established by the available published peer-reviewed literature.

Targeted phototherapy may also be considered medically necessary for ANY ONE of the following:

• Treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis comprising less than 20% body area for which NB-UVB or PUVA are indicated; or
• Treatment of mild to moderate localized psoriasis that is unresponsive to conservative treatment.

Targeted phototherapy is considered not medically necessary for all other conditions.

Psoralen and Ultraviolet Light A (PUVA)

PUVA may be considered medically necessary for ANY ONE of the following conditions after conservative therapies have failed:

• Mycosis fungoides (T-Cell Lymphoma); or
• Sezary's Disease; or
• Psoriasis; or
• Atopic Dermatitis/Severe Eczema; or
• Pruritus of Renal Disease; or
• Pruritus of Malignancy; or
• Parapsoriasis; or
• Dyshidrotic Eczema; or
• Vitiligo; or
• Polymorphic Light Eruptions; or
• Lichen Planus; or
• Alopecia Areata; or
• Chronic Palmoplantar Pustulosis; or
• Eosinophilic Folliculitis; or
• Other Pruritic Eruptions of HIV Infection; or
• Granuloma Annulare; or
• Morphea and Localized Skin Lesions Associated with Scleroderma; or
• Necrobiosis Lipoidica; or
• Pityriasis Lichenoides; or
• Severe Refractory Pruritis of Polycythemia Vera; or
• Cutaneous graft-versus-host-disease occurring as a result of allogeneic bone marrow transplant; or
• Severe urticaria pigmentosa (cutaneous mastocytosis).

PUVA is considered not medically necessary for all other conditions.

UVB with Topical Tar or Petrolatum

Photochemotherapy (e.g.Goeckerman regimen or petrolatum) may be considered medically necessary in the treatment of ANY ONE of the following:

• Psoriasis; or
• Atopic Dermatitis/Severe Eczema; or
• Dyshidrotic Eczema; or
• Lichen Planus; or
• Mycosis fungoides (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma). 
  

PUVA is considered not medically necessary for all other conditions.

Home Therapy

Home therapy should be limited to UVB and are eligible in the home only when the individual requires UVB treatment at least three times per week. PUVA is not an appropriate choice for home therapy. Oxsoralen is a potent photosensitizing agent that should only be used under controlled conditions and under the supervision of a physician.

Home phototherapy may be considered medically necessary for ANY ONE of the following diagnoses:

• Severe Psoriasis; or
• Atopic Dermatitis/Severe Eczema; or
• Pruritus of Renal Disease; or
• Lichen Planus; or
• Mycosis Fungoides; or
• Pityriasis Lichenoides; or
• Pruritis of Hepatic Disease.

Eligibility for a home therapy device may be contingent upon compliance with ALL of the following criteria:

• The patient's condition must comply with one of the eligible diagnoses listed above, must have a documented positive response to ultraviolet light and must be chronic in nature requiring long term maintenance exceeding four (4) months; and
• The device must be ordered by the physician; and
• The device must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration; and
• The device must be appropriate for the body surface/area being treated.

In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria listed above, payment should be limited to the most appropriate device which adequately meets the needs of the patient. All requests for ultraviolet light cabinets and hand held units will be reviewed on an individual basis.

Ultraviolet light therapy and home therapy provided for other conditions will be denied as not medically necessary.

Although evaluation and management services are periodically necessary to evaluate the patient's progress and response to therapy, they should not be routinely billed with ultraviolet light therapy. Evaluation and management services reported on the same date of service as ultraviolet light therapy are appropriate in ANY ONE of the following circumstances:

• When therapy is provided during the initial evaluation of the patient's condition; or
• During periodic assessment of the patient's response to therapy; or
• If the patient's condition worsens; or
• If a complication occurs, e.g., burns; or
• If the patient has a new complaint.