Has anyone here ever been treated for post rabies exposure?

[Sgent]

52. Check you DUMail

regarding my credentials -- but I have an extensive medical practice background which I PM'd you.

Traditionally, insurance policies (including Medicare) only covered care for disease and injury.

Health status diagnosis' were not covered in general, although often there are specific policy exceptions or allowances for particular situations (ie the diabetic cholesterol test I mentioned above) when used in conjunction with a diagnosed disease or injury. Its also under this criteria that the OP's ER visit and subsequent vaccination would be covered.

More recently, insurance companies have started providing an often limited amount of preventative coverage -- each insurance company sets their own requirements with Medicare being the most stingy, but most using the recommendations of the USPTF (US Preventative Services Taskforce) and CDC general vaccination schedules. For a relatively easy look a the technical side take a look at http://www.cigna.com/assets/docs/health-care-professionals/807467_d_PreventiveHealthCovGuide_v8_HR.pdf which although specific to cigna is fairly representative.

In the case of the original poster, his services will be billed with the following diagnosis cods:

V01.5 PERSONS WITH POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS RELATED TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASES - Rabies

This has been traditionally treated as a disease / injury process, and therefore covered under medical insurance guidelines -- not as a preventative service.

This is a good thing, because until very recently very little was covered in preventative medicine or the coverage was poor. Even now there are significant limits. Take a look at http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-and-screening-services.html which details all preventative services covered by fee for service (traditional) Medicare.