Well... at least part of the cost. I learned of this from a patient who came to see me in order to obtain an "independent ENT evaluation" regarding her deviated septum.In essence, in order for insurance to pay part of the cost of one's rhinoplasty, a few things need to happen.
Step 1:
See a plastic surgeon who will perform your nosejob rhinoplasty. If the plastic surgeon notes a deviated septum or if you also have a significant nasal obstruction, see an ENT. If the plastic surgeon is also ENT board-certified, you still need to see a DIFFERENT ENT in order to obtain an "independent evaluation."
Step 2:
See the ENT who will hopefully agree that there is a significant deviated septum contributing to one's nasal obstruction. Septoplasty IS an insurance covered procedure in order to address the medical condition of nasal obstruction. In the medical note, I've typically phrased the report as follows:
"The patient does have a significant deviated septum to the right (or left as the case may be) resulting in nasal obstruction. In order to correct this problem, it is recommended that the patient undergo a septoplasty procedure. However, given that the patient is to undergo a rhinoplasty by a plastic surgeon and instead of putting the patient under anesthesia twice, it is reasonable to have the septoplasty performed at the same time."
Please understand that if you do not have a significant deviated septum, that is exactly what will be reported!
Step 3:
Give the plastic surgeon the ENT report. Here, a little effort will be needed on both the patient and plastic surgeon's part. More than likely, insurance will deny payment for the surgery. As such, the plastic surgeon will need to write a letter of medical necessity including supporting documentation from the independent ENT evaluation. The insurance may still refuse payment and that's when the plastic surgeon may need to perform a peer-to-peer review.
Generally speaking, the insurance in the end may cover some of the anesthesia and rarely the septoplasty component of the rhinoplasty. As such, a few thousand dollars may at least be saved.
Hope this information helps!
5 comments:
Plastic surgery is not just for women anymore. More and more men are choosing to improve their faces, bodies and self-images by talking to a plastic surgeon, and there is a growing number of options available.
Rhinoplasty Los Angeles
Is this kind of policy available to pay out for surgeries. Last year I wanted to cure my facial marks and for that I called my agent to know if there is any insurance available but he said no. I would love to know from where you have taken this policy, please do help me out.
You have to give such an excellent advice for how to get insurance to pay for rhinoplasty is very informative for all of us.
A nose job isn't the right procedure for everyone, and it is important to know exactly what you're getting into before you make the decision to move forward. A little bit of research never hurt anyone, and it is essential for anyone planning to make a decision that will affect their appearance in such a drastic way. If you are planning for a Rhinoplasty then be aware about the ‘before and after’ effects. In New York, there are plenty of doctors to find such medical treatment.
Dr. Christopher, amazing article! I was about to undergo a rhinoplasty, I'm now considering various option how could I get it covered by insurance. Turns out mine had a specific policy for this one :). Thanks again!
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