Does Insurance Ever Pay for Brow Lift...Medicare?

With all due respect to the experts weighing in on this subject, as  Oculoplastics surgeons, we deal with the issue of brow ptosis more than any other subspecialty. This includes both cosmetic brow ptosis AND visually significant brow ptosis [within 20 degrees of central fixation].

And while COMPREHENSIVE ophthalmologists may not have the breadth of training to perform the various techniques of browlifting, OCULOPLASTIC SURGEONS have 2 additional years of training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, mostly focusing on periocular area, and  are extremely well trained in this area. We perform endoscopic, pretrichial, coronal, direct, and midforehead lifts, depending on the patients anatomy and hairline, for both cosmetic AND visually significant brow ptosis.

Though getting a browlift approved by insurance [or fitting the Medicare criteria] is more difficult, it can be and is often done successfully by Oculoplastics surgeons, who can not only perform the testing required, but have the judgement and skill to address the problem surgically.

One thing you should be aware of is that the different techniques of browlifting can take significant more time and effort on the surgeons part than others, and some techniques are more effective for visually significant brow ptosis than others.

For example, although an endoscopic browlift provides the most cosmetically appealing incisions, it does not provide an aggressive enough lift to improve a brow droop that is TRULY causing visual compromise.

Also, a pretrichial browlift takes significantly more time and effort for the surgeon, and many surgeons do not feel that the re-imbursement from medicare or insurance is adequate for that time/effort/skill required, and may only offer a "direct" browlift [incision made directly above the eyebrows], which provides the most effect lift in terms of improving the visual field, but has the most obvious incision site.

So if you really feel that you have a visually significant brow ptosis [and in all honesty, most patients do not] your best option is a consultation with an ASOPRS trained Oculoplastics surgeon. You can find one close to you on the ASOPRS dot org website.

Good luck

 

Medicare and other insurances usually do not pay for a browlift because generally an eyelid lift will correct the visual field problem. However, cosmetically speaking, a brow lift may do a better job, but insurance only pays for for a procedure if it is "medically necessary". They will pay for the cheaper procedure which is the blepharopasty (upper eyelid lift).