Gateway Reporter

• The majority of Americans receiving health insurance from their employer are subject to an annual deductible.
• If you've already met your deductible, you have the opportunity to save on healthcare costs at the end of the year.
• If you're struggling with sinusitis, a balloon sinuplasty is a quick, in-office procedure that many medical insurance companies cover in some form.

One strategy for cutting costs before the end of the year is to make the most of your health insurance if you've met your deductible. Many sinusitis sufferers have the opportunity to treat their issues at a lower cost during this time, and Dr. Manish Khanna of Capitol Breathe Free said a balloon sinuplasty procedure is a minimally invasive treatment for sinusitis.

"With the advent of balloon sinuplasty, where there is really no tissue removal, you are making the openings bigger without doing any aggressive cutting. Recovery times are much, much better," Dr. Khanna told the Gateway Reporter. "Patients are getting back to normal activities and their normal lives quickly, and this balloon technology is getting better and better. It's getting less invasive and more directed; more accurate and easier for us as the surgeons to manage, and patience tolerance is getting better too."

Balloon sinuplasty, also known as balloon catheter dilation, is a procedure designed to alleviate blocked sinuses, according to Healthline. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005, this relatively new procedure is often colloquially known as the "smart sinus" technique. It's minimally invasive and can be completed in an in-office setting.

In its 2014 statement, the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) advocated for the inclusion of balloon sinuplasty as a standard covered procedure by all insurance providers.

Not only does a balloon sinuplasty cost much less than other traditional sinus procedures, but many insurance companies are now offering either partial or complete coverage of the treatment, according to GoodRX.

Dr. Khanna completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, according to Capitol Breathe Free's website. He dedicated the following year to postgraduate research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), contributing to research initiatives and generating publications. In 2002, he received his medical degree from Albany Medical College. Afterward, he secured a place in the otolaryngology residency program at Albany Medical Center, where he completed his surgical internship and residency, holding the position of chief resident until 2007. Following the residency, Dr. Khanna obtained a fellowship in rhinology—advanced endoscopic sinus surgery—at the California Sinus Institute in Palo Alto, California. He concluded his fellowship in rhinology and achieved board certification in otolaryngology—head and neck surgery—in 2008 before returning to the D.C. metro area.