Posts tagged cosmetic

Question: Why is cosmetic surgery not fully medically covered in the US?
I injured my nose this past December on vacation while ice skiing with my family and am personally traumatized by what happened. I’m thinking of getting plastic surgery done and think it stands as a valid legal cost that my health provider should consider to pay. In today’s society I think plastic surgery should be something worth taking seriously just like the thought of having medical marijuana legalized.

I know several reasons plastic surgery is not yet covered ; but, bottom line..I’ve been to countries where medical insurance pays a large portion, or the cost is much cheaper.

Can someone give me their thoughts on why America won’t have health carriers cover this sensitive cost? RESPONSES much appreciated!
(cheap ski insurance)

Best answer:

Answer by Figlet
If you think about this, you already know the answer to this – money.

I’m a physician in Canada where we do cover most medical costs and where no one dickers around about what is and isn’t covered. However, most plastic surgery still isn’t covered in Canada if it’s “cosmetic” plastic surgery – the difference being that “cosmetic” means it’s primarily aimed at correcting appearance rather than function. Certainly there are exceptions – for instance, if someone is terribly disfigured, or if they have debilitating back pain from large breasts (although in my experience most people have breast reduction for “appearance” reasons as much as anything else, and yet still manage to have the operation covered). In those instances, the cost is usually covered, at least in Canada.

As for your situation, I can’t speak for the US, but in Canada, if you went to a surgeon complaining of difficulty breathing because of the skiing accident, your surgery would likely be covered for a “deviated septum” or some such thing. However, they wouldn’t be impressed with you bringing in photos of how you’d like your new nose to look (unless they’re photos of you with your original nose)!

I’m not a fan of the health care system in the US in general. Even so, I can understand why “cosmetic” plastic surgery isn’t covered there (or here) – can you imagine the number of people that would seek it out? This would surely sink even the filthy-rich HMO’s in no time. If someone wants cosmetic surgery, I believe they should think about it carefully, weigh the pro’s and con’s, and if they decide to go ahead with it, make plans to save up for it – just as we do for other things in our life that we’d like. Yes, you can make a case for “looking better” improving your mental health – however, so might a vacation to Aruba or returning to university to study law – and we don’t get those things paid for.

I hope I am wrong, but I do not believe that American citizens will ever enjoy universal health care. I know many wonderful Americans and think the US is a terrific country. In my opinion, however, it is also a country with a culture for seeing a “business opportunity” in any and every situation – and there is no question that health care and business should not mix. That said, now that “caring” for the sick – and I use the term loosely – has become a source of profit, I can not see the HMO’s ever turning their backs on this source of profit. HMOs are among the most powerful corporations in America, and will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the debate on universal healthcare remains just that – a debate, and nothing more.

Interestingly, I had my nose “done” years back just as I finished medical school, purely for cosmetic reasons. The cost was $ 7,000 and it was completely out-of-pocket. However, it was a good decision for me and I don’t regret it, even though I was already wildly in-debt at the time!