Are you looking into getting a new procedure done? The plastic surgery cost may be covered by your insurance if you get one of these 9 procedures. Every year, Americans spend in the vicinity of 16 billion dollars on plastic surgery. There are a couple of reasons why that number is so high. (Image Credit: Infinity )
First, plastic surgery provides people with both form and functional fixes to their body which can substantially improve the quality of their lives. That means that a lot of people are seeking treatment. Second, the base plastic surgery cost for most procedures is massive.
If you’re considering getting plastic surgery but your perception of plastic surgery cost is keeping you from making an appointment, you may be surprised to learn that in many cases, you won’t have to foot the bill yourself. Some procedures that have components to them that the medical community considers necessary can be subsidized by insurance.
Not sure if your surgery qualifies? Below, our team shares 9 common procedures that insurance may help pay for.
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Boob Jobs
One of the most widely requested cosmetic surgeries in the USA is boob jobs. There are a number of reasons why this surgery is performed.
Sometimes patients want to make their boobs bigger. Other times they want them to appear more shapely. In some cases, women want their breasts reduced.
If the procedure you want done is to address deformities that are considered outside of the range of the normal aging process, your insurance may pay. If the augmentation you’re looking for is purely for cosmetic purposes, the cost will come out of your pocket.
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Nose Jobs
Another hot ticket in the plastic surgery scene is the “rhinoplasty” (or nose job).
Portions of a nose job could address medical issues that relate to the structural integrity of your nose (a deviated septum for instance). The portion of your procedure that addresses functional nose improvements can get billed to your insurance.
After your surgeon moves onto the cosmetic portion of the procedure though, you’ll be on your own regarding plastic surgery cost.
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Ear Surgeries
If you have large or misshapen ears, you may have considered having plastic surgery work done to them. Seeing as how ear jobs can cost in the vicinity of $5000.00, it’s no wonder why you might be wondering if insurance will help foot the bill.
Ear deformities that resulted from the birthing process can get covered by insurance if taken care of early. If you neglect to manage these defects as a child though and later look to bill your insurance for otoplasty expenses as an adult, the procedure won’t get covered.
Otoplasty procedures that address injuries are also commonly covered by insurance.
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Eye Job
If you’ve got sagging, sun-damaged eyelids, your insurance might help you pay to get your issue remedied.
Whether or not your insurance will pay for a blepharoplasty comes down to one core question…
Is the issue you want to get fixed obstructing your vision?
If it is, insurance will consider the procedure medically necessary. If it isn’t, your procedures will fall into the cosmetic camp.
Eye surgery is common among seniors. If you’re elderly and on Medicare, you may want to consider these top 5 Medicare supplement plans to make sure that you don’t get stuck with high co-pays for your eye procedure.
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Excess Skin Removal
People who have undergone dramatic weight loss often have to deal with the reality of managing their extra, stretched out skin. The procedure that’s leveraged to fix with this issue is called a panniculectomy.
Whether or not a panniculectomy gets covered is an ever-evolving issue and has to do with whether or not your state considers obesity to be a disease.
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Butt Lifts
Butt lifts aren’t typically covered by insurance. You may be able to score a free one though if you need to get a mastectomy and your surgeon takes fat from your butt to add to your breasts.
The average cost for a butt augmentation without insurance?
About $4,300.00.
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Bunion Removal
Bunions can be extremely painful and may even cause toes to overlap which could lead to difficulty walking. Given the medical implications of living with bunions, there’s a good chance your insurance provider will cover their removal.
Whether or not your bunion problem will get covered comes down to the quality of your insurance provider and whether or not your bunions are causing physical pain.
You can learn more about what’s considered medically necessary in regard to bunion removal by reading this literature by Cigna.
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Varicose Vein Surgery
Varicose veins tend to be a purely cosmetic issue that your insurance company won’t be much help with. In some cases though, if your podiatrist diagnoses your varicose issue as “venous insufficiency” your procedure may fall into the medical necessity camp.
As a rule of thumb, if your varicose veins haven’t been helped by more affordable, non-invasive therapies and they’re causing you discomfort, it’s worth checking in with your insurance provider to see if you’re eligible for surgery coverage.
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Beauty Mark Removal
Beauty marks or “moles” can be a tell-tale sign of skin cancer. In cases where your mole gets found to be malignant, insurance will 100% cover its removal.
What a lot of patients don’t know though is that if your doctor finds your mole to even be “suspicious”, insurance will pay out. So, if you can find a cautionary dermatologist, you may be able to get your benign mole removal done free of charge.
Costs of Plastic Surgery Procedures Your Insurance Could Cover
If you and your doctor can claim that there are functional improvements getting made when you receive cosmetic surgery, there’s a chance that your insurance will subsidize, at least in part, your plastic surgery cost.
With that in mind, don’t be shy to get a consultation and discuss with your doctor how the treatment you want may be eligible for insurance help.
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