Rhinoplasty - Will Insurance Cover the Cost?

Rhinoplasty is not a word many people are familiar with. It simply means that you are having cosmetic work performed on your nose. There are many reasons to go through with this type of procedure. Some of them are cosmetic and one or two may actually be medical. The point is that you talk to your physician to determine if there is a medical need or cosmetic need when you are considering this procedure. If it is strictly a cosmetic procedure, you'll be out of pocket thousands of dollars. If it's medical, however, your insurance might pick up the tab for you.

Why is it so important that you talk to your doctor about a medical need for your rhinoplasty? For starters, you have to know how much the procedure is going to cost you. The total bill can be upwards of $5,000. If you are simply trying to make your face more symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing, then you need to find a way to pay for it yourself. However, yif our doctor determines that there is a medical necessity behind the procedure, your insurance company might foot the part of the bill.

What would constitute a medical need for rhinoplasty? A deviated septum would be a major reason for your physician to say you needed this type of procedure. Correcting this type of malformation is not necessarily to correct the aesthetics of your face, but to help you breathe easier. While your doctor is correcting this problem, he or she can always restructure your nose to look smaller or more fitting to your face in the process. If worded and billed correctly, your insurance should still cover a portion of the procedure so you don't have to pay as much to your physician, hospital, or anesthesiologist.

Before you schedule your time off for this procedure, check with your insurance on what would constitute a legitimate claim. The last thing you need is to go through with this procedure only to have your insurance deny you claim later. This would leave you responsible for the entire bill instead of a small portion. If necessary have a note from your physician ready to be submitted to your insurance company upon request. They may need to approve the procedure before you schedule it and may require documented proof of the problem before they will accept that the surgery is a necessary course of action.

If you are interested in having a rhinoplasty for any reason, remember it is usually a cosmetic procedure. Insurance companies don't typically cover "elective" surgeries as a rule. If you can prove that this is for a medical necessity, then you might be able to get part of the cost covered. Don't expect it to be a simple matter, however, and be sure you have all the necessary documentation available before you file your claim. It'll make it easier in the long run.