Liposuction (also known as lipoplasty and suction lipectomy) sounds like a dream come true to some people. To be able to get significant amounts of fat removed from exactly the places on your body that you want, and to get it now, without months of dieting and exercise--well, it can sound fairly tempting.
Some people go a little further with this line of thinking and start to wonder whether they could get this surgery without really having to pay for it themselves--after all, insurance companies pay for surgeries, right? Maybe they'd be willing to pay to help you lose weight?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is virtually always no. Lipoplasty is first and foremost a cosmetic surgery, and it only very rarely produces true health benefits. As such, insurance companies are understandably reluctant to pay for this surgery.
If you are going to get the surgery, you'll most likely have to pay for it yourself, without any assistance from insurance. The surgery will most likely cost somewhere between $1000 and $10,000, depending somewhat on factors like which surgeon you go with, where you live, and what gender you are (liposuction for men tends to cost more).
If the surgery sounds amazing to you, but you don't think you can afford the price out of pocket, you may be able to find someone to offer financing. Many surgeons either offer in-house financing, or they have strong connections with local or national corporations which offer financing for cosmetic surgery.
There is, however, one very notable exception to the "no liposuction rule." Some insurance companies are willing to pay for lipoplasty breast reductions. If a woman experiences back neck and shoulder pain due to excessively large and heavy breasts, or if the size of her breasts interfere with getting mammograms, sometimes an insurance company will decide that a lipectomy can count as an actual health surgery. In these cases, they are sometimes willing to pay.
However, it certainly isn't a given that they will OK your lipoplasty breast reduction. You definitely want to speak with representatives from your insurance company beforehand, as well as getting any appropriate paperwork filled out. Before making your decisions, you want to know what sort of financial assistance you can count on.
For people whose weight problems don't center around their breasts, well, I guess it's time to start saving pennies. It doesn't look like insurance is going to help very much.
Christian Heftel is a staff writer at http://www.liposuctionguide.com
For more information on Christian and Liposuction, please visit http://www.liposuctionguide.com
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