Will Insurance Cover Excess Skin Removal if It's Causing Me Discomfort After Exercising?

Hi.
Sometines insurance companies cover panniculetcomies since they are not considered to be a cosmetic procedure. A panniculectomy is the removal of the pannus (extra skin and fat on abdomen). SInce you are having health problems which you can document in case they ask for it. On all other body parts, the insurance companies usually don't cover the removal of excess skin.
I would recommend you to consult with a board certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon. There are also financing companies who help you with the payment of cosmetic procedures within the US, Canada or abroad. 
Kindly
Dr Marco Carmona MD

Thank you for your question. Difference insurance companies have different coverage types and insurance will need to be verified. I would advise you to schedule a consultation with a board
certified plastic surgeon for a detailed examination to discuss all possible
treatment options and what your expectations are. 

Congrats on the awesome weight loss! Unfortunately, insurance companies consider a lower body lift cosmetic. If you have skin issues related to the hanging abdominal skin, sometimes a panniculectomy can be covered during the lower body lift. This will save you some money.

It's not unusual for massive weight loss patients to develop significant amounts of redundant truncal skin. A variety of surgical options are currently available to address these problems. These include both panniculectomy and body lift procedures. The choice of procedure is dependent upon the patient's anatomic findings and aesthetic goals.It would be extremely unusual for an insurance carrier to cover the cost of a body lift procedure. Most insurance carriers would view this procedure as cosmetic in nature.In contrast, abdominal panniculectomy may occasionally be covered by insurance companies if hanging skin is associated with functional problems. Under these circumstances, back pain, rashes and severe infections related to hanging skin may lead to insurance coverage.It's important that each patient be considered individually when undergoing this type of procedure. It's, therefore, important to consult a board certified plastic surgeon. This surgeon should be able to determine what type of procedure will meet your aesthetic goals and whether or not it will be covered by insurance.

Congratulations!  Unfortunately unless your excess skin is causing a real medical problem that cannot be satisfactorily managed conservatively, surgery to remove it is not going to be covered by most third party payors.  Such situations are actually fairly rare, mostly limited to severe cases of sagging abdominal apron skin, typically with the pannus hanging as low as mid thigh and complicated by recurrent bouts of infection or ulcers.