| Will Insurance Cover a Labiaplasty? |
|
More often than not, insurance companies tend to see labiaplasty as cosmetic and not a medical necessity. However, it is not unheard of for insurance to cover a labia reduction. I have seen young girls under the age of 18 years of age have insurance cover or reimburse the parents when deemed "medically necessary"by their doctor. Are You A Candidate For Labiaplasty? In these cases, the labiaplasty was not being done for aesthetic reasons. It was helping the improve function and reduce pain. A labia reduction can help females suffering with abnormally large labia, women that experience hygiene issues, infections or pain/discomfort because of excess tissue. These days though, many women are electing to have the procedures done for other elective reasons. There are women that want to even out their labia. Others want to reduce the size of both labia, often in conjunction with a clitoral hood reduction. If a labiaplasty is done purely for cosmetic reasons, it will NOT be covered by insurance. On the other hand, when your gynecologist or doctor is able to diagnose a valid medical issue, your insurance may cover the cost of labia reduction. Here are a couple of items to keep in mind. First, if you go this route, be careful. Not all gynecologists have proper training. Next, most insurance companies will not pay for the surgery upfront. A lot depends on what type of doctor you choose too. So this means you will have to pay for the surgery yourself, and then submit a claim to the insurance company to reimburse you. Also depending on your doctor, they may accept your insurance and get compensation for the procedure directly through insurance. Every case is different. You may or may not get approved, and they may reimburse you all or part of the procedure. In the worst case, you may not be reimbursed at all. Ask your doctor, what type of instrument they are using. That also affects your claim. Insurance companies may view the laser as cosmetic. Obviously, the more severe the medical condition the higher your chances of insurance helping cover it. But remember there is no guarantee. Ask questions and make sure your doctor knows what they are doing. Finding a competent and qualified doctor is most important, regardless of insurance. Botched surgeries do happen and usually always in the hands of the inexperienced, untrained surgeon! If you would like my help, contact me. Tags:
Bookmark
Email this
Hits: 6017 Comments (10)
...
written by Vanessa Scott, December 29, 2011
Hi Gigi,
You can ask your gynecologist about the labia reduction. Just keep in mind that not all of them will have experience or training in performing the procedure. If you are interested in having a labioplasty, just make sure your doctor knows what they are doing, have a lot of experience with these specific surgeries and can prove it! Hope this answers your question. Let me know how else I can help! Best wishes & keep doing your research.  Vanessa
...
written by JJ, February 13, 2012
Im not sure how I would get the process going, would I contact my OBGyn first or a cosmetic surgeon or the insurance company? I live VERY far from my ObGyn or else I would just make an appt. Any advice?
...
written by Vanessa, February 13, 2012
Hi JJ,
Thanks for your comment. Glad to see you are doing your research. There are several ways to go about this. What you need to keep in mind is that though women have gotten labiaplasty covered by insurance, most insurance companies do view this as a cosmetic surgery. So unless you and your doctor can support it is not, it might be considered. If you contact your insurance company first, they will need to know diagnostic coding & CPT code (which is provided by your doctor supporting there is medical need). Your insurance company may also require additional info or documents, pics to confirm. Companies are different, so it depends on yours. The catch 22 is if you go through a regular gyn, they will either prove or disprove the need for a labiaplasty. If they support it, then insurance will either cover it or reimburse you cost. Remember there is no guarantee with coverage, so you may have to pay upfront even if insurance "approves" it. The downside is that REGULAR gyns though they work with insurance and cosmetic trained gyns/urogyns or plastic surgeons do not, the regular gyn does not have the proper or additional training to perform the labiaplasty. So if you can afford to pay upfront and go through a cosmetic trained surgeon, it would be the smartest thing. Some women get the proof it is not only cosmetic, and then submit to insurance on their own if the doctor does not work with insurance so they can get some or all costs reimbursed. The most important thing for you to do, regardless of how you move forward is to make sure the doctor you choose has EXPERIENCE. Unfortunately, botched surgeries are very real! Hope this makes sense. Please let me know if you have any other questions. 
...
written by Alexis, March 08, 2012
I am 16 years old and I just came back from my docotor (oBGYN) I have been having a lot o problems with the size of my labia. It gets very irritated and sometimes it swells. It interfers with a lot of outdoor activities that I do. I told my obgyn this and i was just wondering if medicaide would cover this?? I hope so because its really driving me crazy..:l and my obgyn said she could do the procedure.
...
written by Vanessa Scott, March 09, 2012
Hi Alexis,
Thank you for your question. The truth is I do not know if Medicaid will cover this, even if you Gyn deems it medically necessary. That is something your doctor or Medicaid should be able to tell you. Does your doctor normally do these procedures? What has been her experience with insurance? If you do go this route, just make sure that your doctor knows what she is doing and that she does not remove too much. This is what I tend to hear from women that have gone to a doctor with no aesthetic training. Not to suggest your gyn will do a bad job, just think it is important to clarify and be aware of all possible outcomes. Let me know if you have any other questions. Vanessa
...
written by Erica, March 28, 2012
I've had 2 natural child births (one with an episiotomy, most recent with several tears). The Dr did not repair me well after birth and I have labial areas not connected and tag like skin flaps that weren't stitched back together. Would labiaplasty repair this? Want to know the correct term before I ask my PCM for a referral.
...
written by Vanessa Scott, March 28, 2012
Hi Erica,
Thank you for your question. It is difficult to tell exactly what would be the best procedure for you without a doctor actually seeing you. It could be a type of labial modification (maybe the surgeon will remove the "flaps" or reattach them, both could be an option). If the episiotomy is also an issue (perineum) where the incision was made, that could be a perineoplasty. Again it will just depend on what exactly is going on with you or what a doctor sees as the most appropriate. Are you experiencing other symptoms or is your concern mostly aesthetic? This will be relevant in terms of the doc that would be most appropriate to see... Hope that all makes sense. Let me know what other questions you may have! Vanessa
...
written by D., March 28, 2012
I am 23 and have one child, since I was 16 Ive noticed my labia is larger than other that Ive seen on tv or in pictures. I have problems with being seen naked by my livei n boyfriend of more than a year and it is a problem in our relationship, he says im beautiful no matter what but I cant stand the feeling i have "down there". There is any where from sharp pains to pinching and yeast infections and dryness. I dont have money for major surgeries but maybe I can find a doctor to deem me neccessary??? Can it be covered?!
... written by Vanessa Scott, March 29, 2012
Hi D,
Thanks for your question. First of all, regardless of what you believe is normal or what you have seen on "t.v" or in "pictures", everyone has different bodies (breast, eyes, nose, etc.). Labia comes in all different shapes and sizes. There is nothing abnormal about them not being the same exact size. With that said, if it causes you pain, discomfort or you simply want to change that, it is up to you. However, my advice would be do not do it based on what anyone else thinks or because you are comparing yourself to other people. You would have to see your doctor and discuss it with your insurance provider. They will be able to tell you what options you have. Most of the time this is considered cosmetic, but with proper documentation and doctor support, it may be covered, reimbursed (or at least partially). Have seen it before, but there is no way to guarantee or predict what your chances of having insurance help with it. You may have to pay for it upfront. Just be aware that I have also seen women be told that they will get some help and after the surgery, they are reimbursed $0. Every case is treated differently and is based on you, your doctor and your insurance company. Hope that answers your question. Vanessa
Write comment
|
| Last Updated on Monday, 13 February 2012 08:25 |
