Insurance question

I'm hoping someone might be able to offer some good advice/suggestions.........Until today I never even gave it a thought to try and get insurance to pay for any of my procedures.  Now I'm wondering if there is anyway I can get my insurance to pay for any part of my LBL or Inner Thigh lift.

I did not have WLS but I did lose 150 lbs.  I have LOTS of lose hanging skin.  
Has anyone gotten insurance to pay if they did not have WLS first?  Does it matter if I lost the weight but didn't have WLS?

What is the criteria needed to get insurance to pay?

Has anyone bee able to get their thigh lift paid by insurance?

Any help with this would so much appreciated.....I have no clue where to start.

THANKS in advance for any suggestions/help.
Ruth

My insurance paid for the panni portion of my surgery. I did have VSG, but I was a self pay. So, even tho the insurance co didn't pay for my WLS, they paid for my panni. I'm not sure whether my PS office told my ins. co. that I had had WLS or not. If I were you, I would have your PS office submit it, all they can say is "no". It's worth a try!! Good luck!!

Thanks I'll start looking into it tomorrow.

Honestly I do not think it matters if you have had WLS or not... just substantial weight loss.  They usually have criteria you must meet such as a pannus that hangs below the pubis area or 3 months of document doctor visits with rashes and picture to accompany those visits and prescriptions filled and not seeing any benefit from.  I would get ahold of your insurance plan and see if there is anything listed or see if is an exclusion or not and take it from there.

Good luck!

hmmm, that might be difficult......I just don't go to the dr for things like rashes...... but I'll give it a try, you never know...

Wow Ruth you lost 150 lbs without WLS that is awesome!!!

I would talk to the plastic surgeons office and get them to submit it to insurance you never know they might pay.  I got insurance to pay for my panni and arms even though the surgeons office said they wouldn't pay for my arms I was approved on the first try. They were really surprised and I was estatic.

Good luck with your surgery. Debi

Thanks Debi,

That's really cool that you got them to pay for arms......I didn't think that was ever possible....maybe I should have tried.  As someone always says to me "if you don't ask you don't know"....guess I just need to ask the insurance company.

Thanks!!
Ruth

The surgeons office was shocked insurance approved my arms too, they said they've only had one other person ever get approved for their arms so I made their second.

You never know until you try. I'm thinking of trying to get my breasts and inner thighs approved next but I know it's a long shot on both. Debi

I would suggest that you try to get your insurance company to pay. I think it depends on the person working your case. My stomach was hanging half way down to my knees and the insurance company refused to pay because I didn't have several rashes and infections treated and documented. I felt this summer would have been the worst for me so I bit the bullet and self paid for my plastic. Good luck the only way to know for sure is to try.

Ruth-
The trick is going to be to find a plastic surgeon who is willing to even try to get insurance approval.

Red