I had a lumpectomy years ago and didn't consider breast aug then. Would it be covered now?

Insurance companies must ya for reconstructive breast surgery resulting for breast cancer.  You should consult a plastic surgeon who can send photos of your situation to the insurance company to determine if your case meets their criteria for coverage.  It will depend on the extent of the deformity as to whether they will consider this to be reconstructive in nature as opposed to purely cosmetic.  Good luck.

Thank you for your question.  In short, yes, it is often possible to have insurance coverage for surgery to create symmetry for the breasts.  Best to check with your insurance carrier and see what their coverage is.  They should be able to tell you exactly what your policy contains.  Best of luck.

In 1998, the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act was passed into federal law which requires insurance companies to cover treatment and reconstruction for breast cancer.  There is no statute of limitations, and you are eligible for reconstruction at any point in your life.  There are many techniques available to improve your symmetry including the use of a breast lift, breast implants, fat grafting, or rearrangement of your breast tissue to fill in the defect.  It all depends on the result you are looking for, and your anatomy.  If you had radiation at the time of treatment, this will also impact the decision-making process.  Hope this helps.

   This is certainly possible, but the insurance companies will all have different coverages.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

Patients who have had mastectomy or lumpectomy due to breast cancer most likely will be covered for reconstructive surgery due to the 1998 Women's Health and Cancer Care  Act, which is a federal law. Please discuss this with your plastic surgeon. The American Cancer Society website has some good information regarding this mandate. There are a few limitations with this law (for instance, I don't think Medicare is covered under this law), however, it is worth investigating.

Thank you for the question.To best help you, a physical
examination or picture evaluation would be necessary in order to
determine which procedure and technique would be best for your case.Dr. Campos

Your insurance will cover breast reconstruction, no matter which technique is used.If you only had a lumpectomy, but no radiation treatment, you are a great candidate for implants or for fat grafting to make up the difference in size and shape.If you had radiation treatment, you should try to avoid using implants because of the increased risks and instead use fat grafting techniques.

If the asymmetry of your breasts was caused by a lumpectomy then your insurance will cover the procedure. Of course the reason for the augmentation is reconstructive and not cosmetic. Your doctor will have to send a preauthorization letter to your insurance to confirm the coverage.  

There are some federal regulations and requirements regarding what insurance must cover relative to breast cancer reconstruction. You will need to get a consult and then you'll have your answer, but in general, it is quite likely you will have some coverage. But you probably had radiation which greatly complicates and raises the risks for any surgery.