Cigna, a U.S. health services company, issued a new medical coverage policy for excimer laser therapy. Previously, Cigna did not cover laser therapy for the treatment of vitiligo because such treatment was considered cosmetic and not "medically necessary."

A new regimen covers up to 200 total treatments of office-based excimer laser therapy for localized vitiligo after failure with a topical corticosteroid and calcineurin inhibitor, when there is beneficial clinical response. Average reimbursement to the physician is approximately $189 per treatment or approximately $38,000 per patient over 52 weeks of treatment.