Medicaid Covered Panniculectomy in Illinois?

Hello! Thank you for your question! I hope that these answers
help! A panniculectomy is an excellent method for removing the excess
skin and soft tissue of the lower abdomen (abdominal panniculus), often
caused by weight loss. It is mainly performed to ameliorate symptoms
caused by the abdominal apron such as hygiene issues, excoriations,
rashes/infections, back pain, etc. A panniculectomy gives almost
immediate relief from these issues as well as has been shown to
stimulate additional weight loss as your activity level is increased
after removal of the panniculus. An abdominoplasty is more of an
aesthetic procedure in that as opposed to simply excising this excess
tissue in a wedge to relieve complaints, an abdominoplasty focuses more
on abdominal contouring, abdominal wall tightening, re-insetting the
belly button, as well as often times the addition of liposuction.

I would highly recommend continued diet and exercise prior to any
consideration for a panniculectomy or body contouring as getting down to
your ideal weight
prior to the procedure will certainly give you the best results as well
as be the safest for you. Neither one is a weight loss procedure.
Also, a
continued healthy and active lifestyle will be needed in order to
maintain the benefits that the procedure has given to you. You should
consult with a
plastic surgeon at anytime to go over options and in order to assist
you in
deciding which procedure(s) would be right one for you. Depending on
your examination, photo documentation, and discussion of your symptoms,
insurance coverage may be possible.  I would begin with calling your insurance plan for recommendations and who is on your plan.  Best wishes for a wonderful result!

A referral from your doctor does not mean medicaid will cover any part of your expense. In fact most times medicaid wont give an approval and the accepting doctor does the surgery only to find the procedure is turned down by medicaid after claim submission. The patient does not have money to pay and the doctor pays for surgery out of his own pocket. Unfortunately this is done commonly by the insurance companies including Medicaid and that is part of the reason you are having difficulty not only finding a provider but also finding a provider to respond to your post.