Have you ever been told that you need liposuction? Have you ever wondered if your health insurance would cover the procedure? Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes excess fat from areas of the body where it has accumulated. It can be performed on many different parts of the body, including the thighs, abdomen, back and neck.
People who are considering having liposuction should know that the cost of this type of surgery can be quite high, even if they have health insurance. Many insurance companies will cover some or all of the cost of liposuction; however, they may require patients to first try other methods of losing weight before agreeing to pay for this expensive surgery.
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Can Insurance Pay For Liposuction
Medicare may cover a cosmetic procedure like liposuction for two main reasons. These are when it’s viewed as medically necessary to:
- treat an injury
- repair a malformed body part to improve function
A few examples of when these may apply to liposuction include:
- removing a large fatty growth (lipoma) with minimal scarring
- eliminating fat deposits from the lower limbs of people with lipedema to help improve mobility
- removing fat tissue from the breasts of men with gynecomastia
- getting rid of additional fat that’s accumulated due to lymphedema when more conservative treatments haven’t helped
- taking fat from one part of the body and transferring it to an area impacted by a lipodystrophy syndrome (fat atrophy) to ease physical discomfort
- reducing the amount of fat in people who are morbidly obese to aid in another medical procedure, such as a tracheostomy or colostomy
- transferring fat from one area of the body to an area that’s been impacted by a severe injury or burn
Although you may have a medical reason to get liposuction, you’ll still have to go through Medicare directly to explain why it’s needed and get it approved.
What are my best steps for getting coverage?
Let’s examine the steps that you can take to make your case to Medicare for coverage of liposuction:
- Talk with your doctor. Ask your Medicare-approved doctor to submit a written request to Medicare or your plan’s provider, explaining why liposuction is medically necessary for your condition.
- Collect additional documentation. Aside from the written request from your doctor, you can collect any supporting documentation that you have about your condition and any previous treatments you’ve tried.
- Contact Medicare. Reach out to Medicare directly via 800 Explain your situation in detail to see if you’re eligible for coverage. If you have a Part C plan, you’ll need to contact your plan’s provider.
Even if you take all the steps outlined above, it’s still not guaranteed that Medicare will cover your procedure. This is because Medicare has an established policy of noncoverage for cosmetic surgeries like liposuction.
If you’re denied coverage, you can appeal the decision. This process has several steps, which can differ depending on whether you have original Medicare or a Part C plan.
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Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries, and it’s also one of the most expensive. If you’re considering getting liposuction, you might be wondering if your insurance will cover it.
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery to remove fat from the body. The procedure uses a suctioning device that removes fat through small tubes called cannulas. The cannulas are inserted into the body through small incisions and guided by a surgeon to remove fat deposits in specific areas of the body.
Liposuction can be used to treat various conditions, including:
Treatment for gynecomastia (male breast enlargement)
Treatment for cellulite
Weight loss enhancement
Liposuction is also used as part of other cosmetic procedures including breast augmentation, tummy tuck surgery and facelift surgery.
Liposuction costs between $5,000 and $10,000. But if you have good health insurance, you may be able to get the procedure covered.
The exact amount your insurance provider will pay for liposuction depends on the specifics of your plan. Some plans pay for all or part of the cost of cosmetic procedures, while others don’t cover them at all.
If you’re considering liposuction but are worried about the cost, talk to your insurance provider about whether you might be able to get coverage for it. You may also want to talk to a medical professional about other options that could reduce the appearance of your fat without surgery.
Most insurance plans will not pay for liposuction. However, some plans may cover a small portion of the cost if you have another problem that needs treatment at the same time.
Insurance coverage for liposuction varies significantly from one plan to another. Some plans cover liposuction only if it is used to treat breast cancer or lymphedema (swelling due to removal of lymph nodes). Other plans may cover liposuction as part of a weight-loss program.
If your plan covers liposuction, the amount it will pay depends on the type of liposuction surgery you have. For example:
Lipoplasty — A cosmetic procedure where fat is removed from specific areas of the body by inserting a needle into the fatty tissue and sucking out small amounts of fat through a cannula (tube). This type includes laser lipoplasty, which uses a laser beam instead of a cannula.
Liposuction — A cosmetic procedure where fat is removed from specific areas of the body by inserting a narrow tube into each area and suctioning out small amounts of fat through small incisions in the skin.
Liposuction is a popular cosmetic surgery procedure that removes fat with the use of a small tube and suction. People who are self-conscious about excess fat deposits in their body opt for liposuction as a way to make their bodies look better.
Liposuction can be expensive, which is why many people wonder if insurance will pay for it. In most cases, insurers do not cover liposuction because it is considered to be an elective procedure. But there are exceptions: some insurers will cover liposuction if it’s medically necessary or if it’s done as part of another procedure.
Medical Necessity
Insurers often cover procedures that are medically necessary — those that treat a condition that affects your health status or well-being. For example, many insurers will cover breast reduction surgery after childbirth or mastectomy after breast cancer treatment because these procedures correct physical changes caused by the disease or pregnancy. Liposuction may also be covered by insurance if it’s performed on someone who has an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or lymphoma (cancer).
Other Procedures
Some insurers also cover certain procedures if they’re performed within a larger scope of services, called bundled payments. These bundled services include multiple treatments
Liposuction is one of the most popular cosmetic procedures in the United States. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), more than 1.6 million people had liposuction done in 2016. It’s a safe procedure that can remove fat from trouble spots like hips, thighs and buttocks.
But it’s expensive — as much as $10,000 out-of-pocket for some patients. So can insurance cover liposuction? Not necessarily.
What Is Liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic surgery to remove unwanted fat from different parts of the body. A surgeon inserts an instrument called a cannula into the area where fat is located. The cannula acts like a vacuum cleaner, sucking out excess fat through tiny incisions made in the skin.
Depending on how much fat needs to be removed, multiple sessions may be necessary to achieve optimal results. Liposuction typically costs anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 per session in the U.S., though prices may vary depending on geographic location, surgeon experience and type of facility used (i