BRYAN, Ohio, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Phothera announced today that Aetna has updated its coverage policy to include home phototherapy for the treatment of vitiligo, effective July 2026. Under the updated policy, narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy, including home phototherapy, is covered as medically necessary for members who have not responded adequately to topical therapy. The change marks a meaningful expansion of patient access to a therapy dermatologists have long regarded as a cornerstone of vitiligo treatment.

Vitiligo affects an estimated 1% of the U.S. population, or roughly 2 to 3 million Americans¹, many of whom have historically faced coverage denials or significant out-of-pocket costs for phototherapy despite its established role in treatment guidelines. With this update, eligible members gain a clearer path to phototherapy, including the option to treat at home.

"This is exactly the kind of progress our patients deserve. Vitiligo is a chronic, often deeply personal condition, and phototherapy has long been underutilized simply because access barriers stood in the way. Coverage that includes home phototherapy matters because convenience drives consistency. In a randomized clinical trial, patients treated with home phototherapy showed roughly 3 times higher adherence than those relying on in-office treatment alone.² When coverage extends to the home setting, it removes one of the barriers that has kept patients from staying consistent with a therapy we know works," said Padma Sundar, Chief Commercial Officer at Phothera.

Part of a Broader Access Expansion

Aetna's decision is the latest in a series of payer coverage wins for phototherapy in vitiligo, following similar updates from Anthem/BCBS, BCBS plans in Texas, Illinois and Kansas among others, and Cigna. Several other plans, including United and a number of major regional health systems, already cover home phototherapy as well, extending across the major chronic skin conditions it treats, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis (eczema), vitiligo, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (most commonly mycosis fungoides). An estimated 26 million patients live with these conditions in the United States.³

"Based on our internal analysis, we estimate that a majority of insured patients now have access to coverage for home phototherapy across these conditions," said Sundar.

As coverage expands, prescribing is becoming simpler too. Through Phothera's integration with EMA and Epic, dermatologists can prescribe home phototherapy directly from the electronic medical record they already use, with no separate portals and no duplicate data entry. Together, broader payer coverage and streamlined EMR-based prescribing are removing two of the longest-standing barriers to home phototherapy: whether it is covered, and how easily it can be prescribed.

About Phothera

Phothera is the leading manufacturer of FDA-cleared phototherapy devices for chronic skin conditions, including vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The company was formed through the merger of Daavlin and National Biological Corporation (NatBio), unified under Madison Industries, a global industrial leader dedicated to building brands that are safer, healthier, and built for long-term growth. Phothera brings over 80 years of combined phototherapy experience. Embrace Life With Confidence.

¹ Gandhi K, et al. Prevalence of Vitiligo Among Adults in the United States. JAMA Dermatol. 2022.

² Gelfand JM, Armstrong AW, Lim HW, et al. Home- vs Office-Based Narrowband UV-B Phototherapy for Patients With Psoriasis: The LITE Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. Published online September 25, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.3897 (home-based adherence 51.4% vs. 15.9%, P<.001).

³ Prevalence across the four indications: psoriasis, more than 7.5 million U.S. adults (Armstrong AW, et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2021;157(8):940-946); atopic dermatitis, approximately 16.5 million U.S. adults (Chiesa Fuxench ZC, et al. J Invest Dermatol. 2019;139(3):583-590); vitiligo, roughly 2–3 million; cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, rare.

Source: Aetna Clinical Policy Bulletin, https://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/400_499/0422.html

Coverage information is based on publicly available sources; no affiliation or endorsement is implied. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Phothera