Third party payers will not pay for a cosmetic blepharoplasty. However, some patients may exhibit visual field obstruction documented by a visual field test in the upper eyelids. These patients may qualify for a functional blepharoplasty to relieve the obstruction.
If the upper eye lid covers the pupil, there is infection due to excess folds of skin, or an eye doctor can demonstrate decrease in visual field due to heaviness of the upper lid, insurance may cover various surgeries on the upper lid depending if the problem is excess skin, weak or detached levator muscle, or ptosis of the brow causing visual field deficit. If your visual field is normal and you have no dermatological condition, blepharoplasty will not be covered.
Insurance coverage for Blepharoplasty is limited to those patients whose excess upper eyelid skin or sagging brow causes a measurable impairment of their peripheral vision. This condition must be documented by Visual Field testing, which evaluates the degree of obstruction caused by the hanging upper eyelid or sagging brow. One measurement is done with the eyelids in the "normal" position, and a second measurement is done with the eyelids taped or held open. If there is measurable improvement, insurance may cover the procedure, but there are generally no guarantees.
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