Plastic surgery can be expensive and financing it may pose a problem. However, there are some procedures that may be covered by your insurance policy. Breast reduction surgery is one of those procedures. So, if you want a breast reduction, under what circumstances will insurance pay and how you get their backing?
The very first step should be contacting your insurance company and asking them what they require for approval. Do not submit a request to them until you have every piece of documentation they ask for. It may sound like a lot of work and hassle, but if you want to avoid the expense, it is well worth the effort.
Ask yourself why you want this procedure. Is it purely cosmetic or are there medical reasons? Very large breasts can cause a myriad of problems - back and neck pain, poor posture, headaches and even weight gain due to lack of activity. If there are medical reasons, then you are one step closer to convincing insurance to pay. If you just want smaller breasts for cosmetic reasons, then it will have to come out of your pocket.
What are the causes of your problem? Are you overweight or is it genetic? If you?re overweight, your insurance company will want to know what you have done to try and lose the weight. If necessary, your surgeon may need to document a before diet breast size and an after diet size to show that you have lost the weight and it did not affect the size.
Once it is determined that weight loss will not help, you need to have a physician document your health problems and correlate them directly to the weight and size of your breasts. Macromastia is the medical term for this and symptoms are back and neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches and damaged nerves.
Chronic pain and poor self-esteem can truly affect every aspect of your life. They also hinder the ability to lead an active lifestyle - jogging, running and even lifting weights can be either impossible or achieved through poor or improper form, which leads to its own health risks. Make sure that your surgeon notes everything in relation to your health problems.
It is also important that the surgeon you choose is a reputable board certified plastic surgeon and is licensed to practice in your state. ThePatients Advantage will be able to provide a list of approved surgeons. Otherwise, verify his credentials and make sure there are no outstanding complaints or law suits filed against him.
It is even better if he is an expert in this field and a specialist in breast reduction procedures. This is not only an important step in gaining insurance coverage, but it is also important to the success of your procedure. Any doctor can call himself a cosmetic surgeon and perform procedures and his only training may be weekend seminars. A certified plastic surgeon has undergone rigorous training and testing to get where he is today. Your insurance company is going to want this experience if they approve coverage.
Breast reduction can greatly improve your life and your health. Insurance often covers this procedure, but you have to meet certain requirements before they approve it. Once they do though, you will be on your way to living a more active and fulfilling life.
Founded in 2004, The Patients Advantage is fast becoming the largest matchmaker of board-certified cosmetic surgeons and their patients; having match over 5,000 people this year alone. The Patients Advantage is recognized as a leading information source on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.
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