Would Insurance Cover Teenage Breast Reduction, Size 32G?

my daughter is 15 about 5'4 and 115 lbs. She is a 32G pushing into an H and she complains a lot about her back and she has had a few mental breakdowns. She has been going to physical therapy, but it only seems to make her worse. Would she be a good candidate for breast reduction even though she is only 15 and would insurance cover for it?

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by Karina from Edinburg in Edinburg, TX

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Breast Reduction for 15 Year Old?

Thank you for the question. It sounds like your daughter is dealing with juvenile breast hypertrophy along with the physical and psychosocial consequences of this diagnosis. In other words, the breasts are too large for the frame causing both physical and psychological distress. As she thinks about breast reduction surgery make sure she does her homework and understands the potential risks and complications associated with the procedure. ... more

Body image, sef esteem issues magnified in adolescence.......

I have performed breast reduction on many young women and some younger than fifteen. Each case must be individualized. No two cases are exactly alike. At this age one must consider the maturity of the patient both physically and emotionally. The risks and benefits must be clearly understood and the patient needs to be compliant with the surgical plan. Personally, I would only recommend surgery if the symptoms were severe. The young women I have treated however have overwhelmingly... more

Insurance Likely To Cover Your Teenage Daughter's Reduction

It is likely that insurance would cover your daughter's breast reduction with her symptoms and her failure to improve with conservative therapy. However, some insurance policies contain outright exclusions for breast reductions. Consult a BC plastic surgeon who can discuss the procedure with you and your daughter and communicate with the ins. co.

Probably

That is a large size for an adolescent just going through puberty. I recommend her being checked by an endocrinologist (gland and hormone specialist) to be sure she doesn't have an abnormality of her pituitary or adrenal glands that could be causing this. Insurance will cover this depending on how much tissue is removed. Most insurance companies have a scale based on the patient's Body Surface Area that they use to determine if the surgery is... more

Breast Reduction - Would Insurance Cover Teenage Breast Reduction, Size 32G?

It is nearly impossible to predict what any specific insurance company will or won't do. The general trend, though, is that it has become harder and harder to obtain insurance approval for breast reductions (at least, in my experience). That being said, it sounds like someone with your daughter's physical comportment would, in general, be able to get insurance approval for a breast reduction. The complicating factor, of course, is that she is just 15 and at that age... more

Breast reduction in adolescent

Breast reduction can be performed at any age, but most Plastic Surgeons would hope that the patient was at least eighteen years of age and had not changed her bra size for at least one year. It would be such a dissappointment for the patient if she had the breast reduction performed and grew in size after the reduction. There is also an emotional element to this if the patient had to do the surgery again. Please check with your local Plastic... more

Insurance coverage for breast reduction

I have performed breast reductions on teenagers in the past, however there is the added risk that breast development may not be complete and the breasts may continue to grow after surgery. Based upon your daughter's height, weight, bra size and failure of conservative management she may be a good candidate for the procedure. Check the exclusions page of your policy - if breast reduction is listed there, it would not be covered under any circumstances. If the procedure is... more

Teenage breast reduction

Your insurance may cover breast reduction surgery for your daughter. Keep in mind that some insurance plans may have restrictions on covering breast reduction, and may exclude the procedure outright or require that your daughter be eighteen. I would recommend that you speak with a board certified plastic surgeon to determine if your daughter is an appropriate candidate for surgery as well. Good luck!