Is Breast Reduction Plastic Surgery Covered by Insurance?

Breast reduction is one of the few cosmetic surgery procedures where insurance coverage may be possible in specific cases. The insurance company needs to be convinced that breast reduction is medically necessary. This will require more than just the surgeon’s recommendation, and the patient will have to submit genuine medical evidence. Outstanding, cutting edge, and board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Hisham Seify provides breast reduction to patients in Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and surrounding communities.  

Medical Proof

When a patient seeks breast reduction surgery, one of the first steps the surgeon will take is to determine her candidacy. After a basic physical exam, the surgeon may find one or more characteristics such as:

• The breasts are excessively large for the patient’s frame
• Breasts are pendulous and heavy, causing rashes or redness in the breast crease or fold
• One breast appears to be larger than the other
• The patient has typical indentation marks on the top of each shoulder where bra straps have pressed into her skin for years

To qualify for insurance and to collect medical evidence, the surgeon will photograph the patient from neck down. These pictures will have to be provided to the insurance company. The photos as well as the surgeon’s report may be evaluated by the insurer’s panel of doctors to determine whether breast reduction plastic surgery is a medical necessity in a specific instance.  

Standard Considerations

Insurance companies typically make the call by relying on a set of charts that consider height, weight, and the amount of removable tissue in each breast. If the amount of tissue to be removed meets the standard criteria of the insurer, the costs of surgery may be covered by them. Women with DD, DDD, and H cups usually qualify. However, it is important to note that each case is considered on its individual merit, and there is no guarantee that meeting the standard criteria alone will qualify the patient for insurance coverage. Even if the coverage is approved, the deductibles would have to be borne by the patient.  

Tips for Patients

• Read your insurance policy terms and conditions carefully or check the insurer’s online resources for your specific type of health insurance to determine whether breast reduction is potentially covered.
• Call the insurer to check if pre-approval is required for breast reduction surgery.
• Ask the type of documentation the insurer requires from your surgeon as well as your family physician to establish medical necessity.
• If the insurer appreciates that medical symptoms arising from oversized breasts are likely to require ongoing expensive treatment, they will be more inclined to approve insurance coverage for breast reduction surgery.
• Find out if your insurance company requires a second medical or surgical opinion before approving coverage for your breast reduction.
• Check whether there is a possibility of combined coverage for breast reduction and breast lift, if you need to undergo both surgeries together.

Experienced and successful cosmetic surgeon Dr. Seify receives patients from Newport Beach, Orange County, CA, and other cities and towns in this region of the state for breast reduction surgery. See more procedures and treatments by plastic surgeon Dr. Hisham Seify in Newport Beach, Orange County, , Irvine, Anaheim, Fullerton, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, CA and surrounding areas.

• https://newportplastic.com/
• http://laboutiquemedspa.com