Insurance for Plastic Surgery

[LisaW 0]

Has anyone been able to get insurance to pay for plastic surgery like a Tummy Tuck or breast lift after you have lost the weight? I have excess skin and it would be great if somehow it was possible to get insurance to help in cost.

While on topic, how about any facial procedures like Botox? Heard sometime if it is for Migraines insurance will cover.

75 lbs. down and just want to look better and better...sure you do to!

[Autumn444 0]

My insurace which is Aetna HMO will pay for TT and Breat reduction/augmentation only if there is rashes or the sort that is hindering the patient.

Talk with your PCP.... He/She may have information about this.

If that doesnt help, call your member services on your insurace and ask them. Hope that helps

[tonya66 13]

Man, that would be a dream come true. I've read on boards that you have have the rashes documented, so you will need to go to the doctor each time, and they look at 6 months of reacurring problems. Its very difficult, but it can be done. Also it depends on the amount of skin (the size of it).

Plastic surgery is a hot thing right now, so the insurance companies are very picky. I'm starting to save now for a Tummy Tuck, I know I will need one later.

[waterlily1072 5]

I believe that most insurances will cover the tt if there is documented skin irritations or rashes. My having sensitive skin is going to come in handy I hope, I know I don't get rashes but I do get a lot of tiny skin tags that drive me nuts, not sure how much irritatio is needed. As for the breast lift if it is in conjunction with a reduction and you have documented back pain insurance will sometimes cover that as well. Good luck I know I am hoping when my time comes to be able to get it covered by insurance.

[Spydr 0]

Although I paid cash for my Tummy Tuck, I know that it could have been covered by insurance due the fat that the skin hung over in such a way that the skin itself broke open and bleed a few times a week. There are a ton of hoops to jump through and I am not a patient person. If you have the willingness to to document your skin issues, I say do it. If nothing else, have your LapBand doc or fill doctor make notes in your file about the problems so you have a record. Good luck!

[Ragdolz 0]

Another option to insurance is organ donation. Here in Florida we have the University of Florida (Go Gators!), for those people who have significant amounts of skin to be removed after weight loss the university has a board cerified plastic surgeon do the skin removal process and all of the skin is sent to Shands Hospital for their burn unit. All expences are covered as it is organ donation. You could check your area's medical colleges and see if they offer such programs too. Good luck!

Dotty

[Chickie 15]

Another option to insurance is organ donation. Here in Florida we have the University of Florida (Go Gators!), for those people who have significant amounts of skin to be removed after weight loss the university has a board cerified plastic surgeon do the skin removal process and all of the skin is sent to Shands Hospital for their burn unit. All expences are covered as it is organ donation. You could check your area's medical colleges and see if they offer such programs too. Good luck!

Dotty

I am fairly sure that is an urban legend. The skin that is removed during a Tummy Tuck is usually so thin that it would be unsuitable for skin grafts.

[faithmd 14]

As a person who has worked in burn surgery for years, it IS an urban legend. While lots of skin is donated by patients undergoing surgery to remove excess skin, I cannot find any place yet on the net that will pay for your plastic surgery in return for donating.

[faithmd 14]

Found this response on another board from just a few days ago, it's pretty good:

Question:

I recently lost a great deal of weight and I have a lots of excess skin. Can I donate my excess skin to a skin bank to help burn patients? Will a tissue bank pay for my skin reduction surgery if I agree to donate my tissue?

Answer:

These questions are asked quite often by individuals who have lost large amounts of weight and have excess skin folds. We appreciate your desire to donate. However, this kind of donation is unworkable. Allow me to explain why, and to give you an alternative.

Our tissue bank does not obtain skin from these patients for several reasons. First, this method of obtaining skin is cost prohibitive. The amount of transplantable tissue obtained from tissue reduction surgery is minimal when compared to the amount of tissue obtained from a cadaveric (deceased) tissue donor. The procurement costs would be much greater as it would require the services of doctors, nurses, anesthetists, and other health care professionals as well as the use of an operating room and other hospital services. Cadaveric donation requires only trained tissue recovery technicians, and they can procure tissue after the body has been sent to the morgue (rather than in an operating room), thus keeping expenses to a minimum.

Additionally, cadaveric donated tissue can be used for transplant soon after recovery (as soon as quality assurance testing is complete), but the FDA requires that tissues recovered from living donors must be placed into quarantine for six months. At the end of six months, all serologic testing (HIV and Hepatitis) must be repeated before that tissue can be used.

It is virtually impossible to obtain a skin graft from tissue than has been removed during tissue reduction surgery. The usual procedure for tissue reduction surgery involves the removal of skin and underlying attached tissues, but skin grafts used for transplant are only 15/1000 (0.015) of an inch thick and do not include these underlying tissues. Skin grafts for transplant are procured by the use of a surgical device called a dermatome, which peels off a very thin (0.015 inch), uniform layer of skin, and it only works on skin that is stretched taut over and firmly attached to muscles, such as in the back, arms, and legs. Very few people have an abdomen taut enough to permit skin tissue recovery. Skin folds (such as those removed when someone has lost a large amount of weight) lack the firm attachment to underlying tissues, and so the dermatome can't work properly.

I do not know of any tissue bank that would pay for a donor's tissue reduction surgical expenses for the purpose of obtaining skin for transplantation.

I would like to encourage you to be sure that your family knows you would like to donate your tissues upon death. Your gift can save lives and greatly reduce suffering. ( click here to learn more about skin and also learn about the tissue shortage).

[Ragdolz 0]

Disappointing... I had heard they did, I stand corrected! I apologize for the misinformation.

Best,

Dotty

[faithmd 14]

Disappointing... I had heard they did, I stand corrected! I apologize for the misinformation.

Best,

Dotty

No problem, Dotty. I have heard the same thing several times over the years. I think perhaps they used to years ago and they have since stopped, but the story persists.

[babygrl1234 6]

With documentation of skin rashes and such I know my insurance would pay for the apron removal and/or a breast reduction. Many insurance would probaly cover it though it would require a lot of documentation.

As a side note a Tummy Tuck (tighening of the muscles) would not be covered by most insurances if any, only the removal of the pannus (hanging skin) is usually covered.