Just because a plastic surgery procedure is elective does not mean insurance will be uninvolved. Here are some things to know about why should still make sure your surgeon's office still recognizes your insurance policy.
Most people who are planning to undergo a purely elective plastic surgery plan to either finance the doctor's fees or fork over the cash. It has been ingrained that elective procedures are not covered by health insurance policies,
and so patients do not ask any questions about insurance concerns. There are, however, many reasons that a prospective patient should make some insurance inquiries.
To begin, the price that is often found during research by those looking into the surgeries is just the price for the procedure — the doctor's fee. This is not billable to insurance, but a patient still needs to ask and to confirm that his health insurance provider is in network with the doctor and staff that will be performing the procedure.
While a lot of these types of plastic surgery are done in outpatient facilities or even in the doctor's office itself, should a patient undergo some complications, insurance can become a very real factor beginning with transportation to a full service medical facility.
When an elective procedure turns up some medical necessities such as treatment for a reaction to anesthetic, it them becomes a non-elective situation — one where insurance will be billed. At this point, if a patient has not verified in network insurance claims with the surgeon, the hospital at which he has privileges, and the staff at that facility, a window of opportunity has been missed.
The procedure may turn out great and the minor complications may have been averted, but the bill will come. This is when most realize that insurance does have a place in elective plastic surgeries. Of course not all situations are as serious as that scenario, but there are some other reasons to review a health insurance policy prior to elective procedures.
There will be medication and sometimes special recovery supplies needed during the recovery period, and those things can, in some cases, be billed to health insurance. Sometimes things such as special medical bras for post breast augmentation, facial slings, prop pillows, etc., are part of the doctor's quoted price, but if you have a great health insurance policy or a pre-tax medical account, there is room for negotiation. Rather than paying the doctor to supply these, ask for a prescription for these products to be obtained at a medical supply store. The cost may still be out of pocket but can eventually be written off as a medical expense.
Some doctors have the credentials to send patients home with non-control substance pain killers. Some insurance, however, such as military related providers, can provide those at the on-base pharmacy. The costs for these over the counter medications can be taken from pre-paid accounts or written off taxes if the cost are itemized; however if they are just billed as part of a plastic surgery, it may not be possible.
