Breast Reduction / Liposuction Combo - Cheaper Together w/ Insurance Coverage?

Questions about combined procedures are very common on Real Self! In New York, most of the hospitals where I perform breast reduction do not permit what I call the "hybrid" procedures. Since they charge different rates for cosmetic surgery than what they bill to insurance companies, they have concern about the differential billing and also about having the entire operation declared cosmetic after the fact because the patient wants to have lipo along with the medical necessary procedure. Since the hospitals charge more for cosmetic procedures than either my office OR suite or the surgicenters, it can actually be more expensive to have the procedures this way. Check with your plastic surgeon and make sure that having a cosmetic add-on will not cost you more!

It is almost always more cost effective to combing the two procedures. 

Unfortunately, the cost savings is no where near as high as you would think it should be.  Generally the hospital and anesthesia providers will cut a discount off their costs when combing the two. For both of these, OR and anesthesia, the work and cost is front and rear loaded; adding more time to you case does not cost them too much.

Your surgeon can work out the details for you, but to warn you again, the cost savings is less than you think it should be.