Can Insurance Cover Cosmetic Surgery?

Cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by health insurance. Learn more about what procedures are usually covered by insurance and how Après Plastic Surgery can help.

Can Insurance Cover Cosmetic Surgery?

Cosmetic surgery is generally not covered by health insurance, however, many patients have the option to work with an outside funding company to set up affordable monthly payments. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the amount of plastic surgery has increased by 538% for women and 3.25% for men since 1997. As a general rule, if the purpose of your surgery is only to improve your appearance, it's almost certainly not a covered expense. If the procedure corrects or ameliorates a legitimate medical problem, it may be covered in part or in full by private insurance plans. Provincial health plans rarely cover the cost of elective cosmetic surgery performed to improve appearance.

Reconstructive surgery may be covered if it improves physical function or if it corrects a problem present at birth (congenital) or caused by an injury. Panniculectomy is usually partially covered by the OHIP to remove excess skin after extreme weight loss or weight loss surgery. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASPS) offers a recommended criterion for distinguishing between a cosmetic surgery procedure and a plastic or reconstructive surgery that providers can use when explaining treatments that have a dual aesthetic and functional purpose. Here are a few different procedures by category where plastic surgery is usually covered by insurance: In addition, some plans may cover the reconstruction of cosmetic defects after an accident, and the repair of certain birth defects, such as a cleft palate, is also usually covered. The FDA recommended dose is 155 units (given every 10 to 12 weeks) for migraine patients, and treatment is covered by most insurance plans (including Medicare and Medicaid).When considering cosmetic surgery, it's important to find a cosmetic surgeon you trust and feel comfortable talking to.

The expert team at Après Plastic Surgery in Portland, OR is dedicated to providing the most exceptional level of care, including helping to decipher the sometimes confusing world of insurance coverage when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Male breast reduction (breast reduction) is much more difficult to classify as a functional procedure than breast reduction for women, although the ASPS has compiled a set of guidelines that cover pain and discomfort, suspected malignancy, and more, and can be used to evaluate insurance coverage for both teenagers and adults. It can be difficult for people who want to undergo surgery for conditions that are in the gray area between cosmetic and medically necessary, difficult for the doctors who treat them, and a challenge for insurers whose goal is to minimize their expenses. Giving more value to quality of life and working to preserve it should be paramount, and assessing patient complaints that some may dismiss because they are simply “cosmetic” is one of the first steps in addressing this problem. Any licensed physician can legally perform cosmetic surgery, but levels of training and experience in cosmetic surgery vary widely. You'll be more likely to be satisfied with the results of cosmetic surgery if you find a cosmetic surgeon who listens to you and understands what you want to achieve.

Mary Boucher Brown
Mary Boucher Brown

Certified entrepreneur. Avid twitter guru. Hardcore coffee nerd. Passionate music advocate. Friendly twitter guru.

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