Health Insurance and Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery used to be extremely expensive and therefore, was only an option for the extremely wealthy. However, recent statistics show that more people are opting for elective surgery every year. In fact, there were over 8.5 million procedures performed in 2009 with Botox injections and laser hair removal taking the spot of liposuction or breast augmentation as the most popular forms of elective surgery. Many people assume that their health insurance policies will cover the cost of plastic surgery, but in many cases, it will not unless the procedure is deemed medically necessary.

Some health insurance plans are more likely than others to provide coverage for certain elective procedures. To speak with a health insurance professional about your coverage options, contact the California health insurance experts of Catherine Michaels Insurance Services by calling 1-888-875-9888.

Common Plastic Surgery Exceptions

Although plastic surgery is growing in popularity, most of these procedures are for cosmetic purposes only and are not medically necessary. As such, insurance companies typically will not cover these procedures. However, there are some exceptions to this, including:

• Breast reduction in order to decrease the risk of breast cancer or eliminate back problems
• Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy
• Nasal reconstructive surgery if a patient has trouble breathing from a deviated septum
• Removing a birth mark or other mark or growth because of a high risk of cancer

Every health insurance plan is different and may have exceptions for certain cosmetic procedures, so be sure to understand what a policy will and will not cover before making a final decision.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about health insurance, or if you are looking to purchase a policy, contact the California health insurance experts of Catherine Michaels Insurance Services by calling 1-888-875-9888.