Saint Louis Breast Reduction doctors

Dear KatieK58,  Not all insurance policies cover the costs for a breast reduction procedure.  One of the most important steps you can perform is to read the covered benefits section of your insurance policy.  This is even more important than actually calling the insurance company itself.  Every policy is written differently depending on who you get your insurance through.  When you call the insurance carrier, often you will get a "generic" answer which may or may not be correct.  The best thing is to actually read the policy.  If breast reduction is not a covered procedure, then you can expect to have to pay the costs for the procedure out of your own funds.

If your insurance carrier does cover breast reductions, then you will have to meet certain criteria for the insurance company to consider covering your procedure.  Dr. Gutowski gave an excellent summary on the how to prepare for your consultation and collecting the information your plastic surgeon will need to obtain approval for your breast reduction.

Remember, the most important first step is to read your insurance policy.  Good luck.

Dear TallOne,  Each insurance policy has its on limits on what is covered and what is not covered.  This is why a large company can sometimes cover a procedure or a complication of a procedure and in another one of the policies it issued, those very same areas are not covered.  The only way to know is to read your own individual policy.

Many insurance carriers will not cover the costs associated with complications of a procedure that they did not originally cover.  Therefore, if you had a complication from an elective breast reduction, your costs may not be covered by your insurance carrier.  This is why many plastic surgeons offer to their patients insurance policies to cover the complications that may arise from a cosmetic procedure.  Please ask your plastic surgeon if they have such a policy and ask to read the coverage benefits before proceeding.  

The good news for most patients undergoing a breast reduction procedure is that there complication rate is very low and usually these can be managed outside the hospital with little to no costs to the patient.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Dear JDnDover, Yes, it is customary to pay for your elective surgery prior to having your procedure.  Because your surgery is elective and not covered by your insurance carrier, you are responsible for its costs.  Since your surgeon will be required to pay the operating room expenses including the costs for the staff and also your anesthesia costs before your surgery, your surgeon will ask for these charges to be covered prior to performing your procedure.  If you are having trouble meeting the costs of your procedure, ask your plastic surgeon's office if they participate in any of the  numerous financing programs for elective surgery which may be able to assist your in covering your charges.  Hope this helps.