4 Plastic Surgery Procedures That Might Be Covered By Insurance

One of the biggest concerns patients have when it comes to plastic surgery is how to pay for the procedure. If the plastic surgery is not considered to be medically necessary, there is a very good chance insurance will not pay for the procedure.

Don’t worry! There are many types of plastic surgery where insurance will pay some (or all) of the cost. Here are some examples of when plastic surgery might be covered by insurance:

1. Rhinoplasty – Many patients swear that their nose job was medically necessary. In fact, they might be telling the truth. Rhinoplasty can fix breathing issues caused by trauma or injury to the nose as well as structural defects to the nose. If the rhinoplasty is deemed necessary to help improve the ability to breathe, insurance will cover part of the cost. Rhinoplasty is almost like a bonus for some patients because it helps them breathe easier and also improves the appearance of the nose.
2. Otoplasty – The ears on a person might be viewed as being “too big”. If this is the case, why will insurance cover something that might just be considered an opinion? Ear surgery can improve the shape as well as the position of the ear. It can also fix misshapen ears that were injured during an accident or a deformity that has been present since birth. It is recommended that any birth deformities be dealt with early in life because there is less of a chance that insurance will cover the surgery if a patient waits many years to address the issue.
3. Breast Reconstruction – If a patient is looking to have a boob job to simply increase their size, insurance will likely not cover the augmentation since it is mainly a cosmetic procedure. If the surgery is being performed to reconstruct the breasts due to a mastectomy or some sort of functional disability, this is considered medically necessary with part of the cost covered by insurance. Plus, patients who need to have faulty implants removed after a previous breast augmentation can likely get the removal of the implants covered by insurance but insurance will not pay for a replacement surgery.
4. Varicose Veins – Most patients more than likely don’t think that varicose vein issues will be covered by insurance. Although it is normally considered a cosmetic problem, there are times when this issue needs to be addressed due to medical necessity. According to Steven D. Cox, MD, of Ohio, “If you have large, bulging veins on your legs or thighs, you probably have a problem called venous insufficiency, which meets the criteria for medical necessity for insurance plans.” Dr. Cox went on to say that if the varicose veins cause painful symptoms, and a person has not had any success addressing the problem with non-invasive therapies such as support stockings, insurance will likely cover any necessary surgery to fix the issue.

MA