Free tummy tucks etc.

slimmy120 · April 8, 2008

Have been reading on here, but was told otherwise by my doctor that can have lapbanding done free. is it the same free for tummy tucks, ecess skin cut of arms etc.which doctors do it in perth, my lap banding cost me an arm and a leg, but was well worth it.:thumbs_up:

TeganRheana · April 16, 2008

I have no idea but i have also heard that you can get tummy tucks/excess skin cut off etc through the public system for free!!! Will be keeping an eye on this thread, sorry I couldn't help!

Jachut · April 16, 2008

That's not really correct, you *can* get your Lap Band done through Australia's public system if you're willing to wait long enough and if you have a doctor that operates in the public system. Not many doctors do. To do so, you'd have to contact the hospital and see who they recommend, but just as a guide, the waiting list at The Alfred in Melbourne has been up to 7 years long at times.

But cosmetic surgery is an entirely different matter, you'd have to convince a surgeon to give you an item number for the surgery and they're unlikely to because the need for a Tummy Tuck is not considered to be related to your health the way a Lap Band is. Its cosmetic, and you might get a portion covered (like about $100) but not much more. There's item numbers for things like breast reductions, but then you have to weigh up that the surgeon's taht do them are mostly private and will charge well and above the scheduled fee by thousands of dollars. To find someone to do it in the public system, you're going to again face a long waiting list. And even then, its not completely free, you get 85% of the scheduled fee back, so if your surgeon charges more, you're out of pocket. I would think that you'd almost always have to find a cosmetic surgeon in the private sector becuase of the nature of cosmetic surgery which means it will be done in a private hospital so if you have no private health insurance, you're up for well over $1000 a night for the bed as well. You just really cannot get cosmetic surgery done without private health insurance unless its some sort of urgent disfigurement or similar.

When you weigh it up, waiting several years on a waiting list for your band and for any cosmetic surgery, having to pay for aftercare, etc why would you not just take out private health insurance, wait a year to qualify, have the surgery etc? It will cost you little more in the long run and you're not in strife if you need any revision surgery etc. And waiting the year, you'll probably get done a whole lot sooner.

Edited April 16, 2008 by Jachut

She Smiles · April 16, 2008

Jacqui is 100% right. I saw a plastic surgeon a couple of months ago and was quoted approx $20,000 for a lower body lift (like a Tummy Tuck but goes all the way around your back as well). I had item numbers and everything for it from the plastic surgeon, but would get I think $90 back from medicare and nothing covered by my health fund (NIB). (the whole story is on my blog, link below, if you want to look back to where I posted about it).

The only way you can get it covered by medicare is if its medically needed. Like if you are getting rashes under your pannus, or your back is hurting. From memory, that is why Chickie had hers done, but she was still out of pocket a few thousand dollars.

soriminah · April 16, 2008

The only way you can get it covered by medicare is if its medically needed. Like if you are getting rashes under your pannus, or your back is hurting.

The other thing I heard on A Current Affair or similar program a couple of years ago is if it is for mental distress. If you can prove that the excess skin is not only medically needed because of rashes etc, but causing you mental distress as well.

Not sure if that is still the case though - maybe they might have changed the rules and every state is different.

On the program they had a woman on who wanted a Tummy Tuck after losing a lot of weight and she had to go on the waiting list which was about 2 years at that stage - I think she lived on the Gold Coast.