Which brow lift procedure for peripheral vision is covered by Medicare?

Medicare and other insurances may or may not cover the surgery for a variety of brow lifts.  Whether they do depends on your physical findings, your specific plan, whether your doctor is a participant with the particular plan, whether the plan allows payment to out of network physicians and your findings on a visual field test.  At times, the blockage of your peripheral vision is due to 2 problems - brow sagging and sagging of the upper eyelid skin.In the later cases, it is  customary for one procedure to be covered by the insurance and the other to be considered a patient responsibility elective procedure.Hope this helps.Be well and best regards,Fred G. Fedok, MD FACS

Thank you for your question. Always work with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

Unfortunately, the plastic surgeon is correct -- Medicare has no interest in paying for cosmetic procedures and they have made their policies in 2018 very clear.  However, if your drooping brows and/or eyelids are severely impairing your vision there may be some options for you. You could try to visit another plastic surgeon that works more with medical patients and functional problems -- sometimes a university based doctor might be able to help more than a private practice physician that probably doesn't perform much Medicare surgery. Best of luck.Damon B. Chandler, MDHarvard-Penn Trained Oculofacial Surgeon

In order to document medical necessity, photographs and a thorough examination  are going to be required.  Very severe brow ptosis causing significant loss have to present before any insurance will pay for it .There are many different brow lift approaches that can accomplish raising the eyebrows, which should be discussed at the time of the examination and consultation.

Brow lift is typically covered by Medicare if proper documentation is done to demonstrate visual obstruction before the procedure. I don't think it matters what type of brow lift is done. The type that you described would only be done if there was no other place to conceal a scar such as in a bald man.