Allergy Services for Primary Care Physicians: Expanding Access to Long-Term Allergy Relief
Allergies affect more than 100 million people each year. Yet despite their widespread impact, allergies often go untreated due to the scarcity of specialist care. That’s why United Allergy Services is focused on introducing allergy treatment and immunotherapy to primary care practices—the first and often only point of contact for patients suffering from allergies. Let’s look at how UAS is making allergy care part of primary care.
Allergies are among the most common chronic conditions in the United States. Yet, despite the prevalence of food and environmental allergies and the associated health complications—including allergic asthma, sinus infections, and even anaphylaxis—many patients never receive proper diagnosis or treatment. Instead, they rely on over-the-counter medications that only mask symptoms rather than addressing the root cause.
Allergy Care Is Primary Care
Primary care physicians (PCPs) are often the first and only point of contact for patients suffering from allergies. By incorporating allergy testing and immunotherapy into their practice, PCPs can offer their patients a comprehensive, long-term solution, without the need for frequent specialist referrals. Allergy immunotherapy is the only treatment proven to modify the immune response to allergens, providing lasting relief rather than temporary symptom control.
United Allergy Services: Bringing Allergy Testing & Treatment to PCPs
United Allergy Services (UAS) partners with primary care providers to offer in-office allergy testing and customized immunotherapy treatment, enabling them to expand their scope of care with minimal additional workload. Since 2009, UAS has successfully partnered with over 2,500 practitioners across more than 20 states.
How UAS Supports PCP Practices
UAS offers two models for PCPs: a UAS-staffed Allergy Center or a self-managed Testing & Immunotherapy Kit package.
The UAS Allergy Center is fully supplied, staffed and managed by UAS. It is designed to integrate seamlessly into the practice with minimal disruption or outlay. This program includes:
- Clinical Allergy Specialists (CAS): Trained, onsite professionals who educate patients, conduct allergy testing, and coordinate immunotherapy.
- Comprehensive Food and Environmental Allergy Testing: Identifies sensitivities to pollen, dust mites, mold, and pet dander as well as certain foods (e.g. peanuts, lactose).
- Custom Immunotherapy Plans: Based on proprietary protocols, personalized allergy treatment options include subcutaneous (allergy shots) and sublingual (allergy drops) to maximize patient convenience and adherence.
- Full-service Supply & Compliance Management: UAS handles all allergy center supplies, from test extracts to patient education materials, ensuring a seamless experience.
- Insurance & Billing Support: Our team assists with reimbursement processes, making allergy services accessible and affordable for both patients and practices.
With the UAS Testing & Immunotherapy Kits, practices can enhance patient care while maintaining flexibility in how allergy services are incorporated. The Kit option includes:
- Environmental Allergy Testing Kit: Screens for 54 regionally relevant allergens, including trees, grasses, weeds, molds, and pet dander.
- Food Allergy Testing Kit: Identifies sensitivities to 23 common food allergens with panels tailored for adult and pediatric patients.
Both kits include personalized subcutaneous or sublingual immunotherapy options through UAS’s prescription-based formulations.
The Value of Experience
United Allergy Services has an unequalled record of success in delivering effective allergy treatment:
- UAS has more patients on our protocol than any other allergy service provider in the United States.
- We have partnered with more than 2,500 providers in 20+ states to provide allergy testing and immunotherapy services.
- Since 2011, UAS has conducted over 575,000 allergy and food sensitivity tests and served over 350,000 patients with 36+ million immunotherapy treatments in our allergy care clinics.
Enhancing Allergy Care in Primary Practices
With limited access to allergy specialists, many allergy sufferers and their doctors are forced to rely on medications that only mask allergy symptoms, increasing the risk of patients developing long-term respiratory conditions such as asthma.
By partnering with United Allergy Services, primary care practices are able to provide convenient, in-office testing for the full range of allergies and food sensitivities along with safe, well-proven immunotherapy.
Patients enjoy dramatic improvements in quality of life while PCP practices achieve higher levels of patient care and overall satisfaction.
FSA/HSA Plans for Allergy Services
Environmental allergies are a common ailment that affects approximately 50 million Americans every year. Whether you suffer from year round or just seasonal allergies, you may be able to use your tax-free FSA/HSA funds to help you save money on education, allergy testing, and treatments. If you struggle with allergy symptoms—itchy eyes, congestion, and non-stop sneezing—you know how tough the spring and summer months can be. Over-the-counter drugs can help, but sometimes these remedies aren’t enough. As you compare options, you may notice the hefty price tag. Luckily, your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) may offer some savings to your allergy relief.
What Exactly is an FSA or HSA Health Care Plan?
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Accounts (HSA) are medical savings accounts with tax benefits, designed to allow you to set aside pre-tax savings to go towards your treatments, healthcare and other medical expenses.
Can I Use My FSA/HSA Plan for Allergy Testing?
For the majority of healthcare plans environmental and food allergy testing is an eligible FSA/HSA expenditure, meaning they allow the tests as a qualified medical expense. To make sure you’re covered, we recommend getting in touch with your provider to confirm your inclusions.
A qualified medical expense is defined in IRS Publication 502 as the cost of treatment, cure, diagnosis, mitigation or prevention of a disease. The expense must be used principally to prevent or help ease the symptoms of a physical/mental illness or disability in order to meet the criteria for HSA and FSA. Environmental sensitivity tests work to identify allergic triggers that may cause discomfort and allow you to avoid or mitigate the exposure. Similarly, food sensitivity tests identify digestive issues so you can alter your diet to try and prevent things like bloating, nausea and stomach cramps.
Other Allergy Related Questions?
Our team wants to help you make the most out of your benefits before they expire on January 1st. Visit our FAQ page for more insight, or find an allergy center near you by clicking here.