How to Get a Tummy Tuck Paid for by Insurance

Bodywork and beauty therapy allows us to look and feel our best, but these procedures can often be pricey. Tummy tucks are invasive procedures that are used to improve the look of the abdomen, and if you’re trying to get one, you may be wondering how to get a tummy tuck paid for by insurance.

Over the course of this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to get a tummy tuck covered by insurance, including the circumstances in which one would be covered. If you’re wondering, “Will Medicaid pay for a tummy tuck?”, we’ll also go into the circumstances in which you can expect it to.

Does Insurance Cover Tummy Tuck?

Tummy tucks are typically considered cosmetic and elective surgeries because they are rarely seen as medically necessary procedures that will either save your life or improve your quality of life. In the vast majority of cases, cosmetic and elective procedures are excluded from health insurance policies.

Will insurance cover a tummy tuck? Probably not. Now, you may be wondering about cosmetic insurance plans, which sound like they might end up paying out for a tummy tuck. However, cosmetic insurance policies are designed to pay for medical expenses that arise after a cosmetic surgery.

For example, if you go in for a tummy tuck and you end up with an infection that needs to be treated ASAP, your cosmetic insurance policy will come into effect and pay out for you. These policies can also pay out if you have problems in the middle of your cosmetic surgery and the doctor needs to do additional work that you’ll be charged for.

In some rare cases, you may find a policy that will pay out for a cosmetic procedure once in a blue moon, but you can bet that these policies will be far more expensive than your typical health insurance policy. The simple fact is that health insurance was not designed to pay for cosmetic procedures like tummy tucks.

Does Medicaid Cover Tummy Tucks?

Even though private insurance typically doesn’t cover tummy tucks, you may be wondering, “Does Medicaid pay for tummy tuck?” Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you can’t expect Medicaid to pay for cosmetic procedures because that’s not what it was made for.

Medicaid was designed to deal with situations that are medically necessary for the patient. For example, if you need to remove a malignant tumor or if you need to get surgery to manage a hernia. Since tummy tucks are typically only cosmetic, they typically won’t be handled by Medicaid.

That being said, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get an abdominoplasty covered by insurance, even if it's Medicaid. These operations tend to fall into a grey area, so you’ll only ever know if your operation will be covered if you get in touch with your insurers and explain the situation to them.

Of course, it’ll take a little more work than just asking the carrier “Does insurance pay for tummy tuck procedures?” You’ll have to explain why a tummy tuck is a necessary procedure for you and how it will improve your quality of life and potentially even your overall health.

How to Get Medicaid to Cover Tummy Tucks

If you’re wondering how to get a tummy tuck covered by insurance, there are a few rare cases in which Medicaid will pay out. In the vast majority of these cases, there are either extenuating circumstances or the doctors will perform a procedure that’s similar but not identical to a tummy tuck.

If you’re wondering how to get insurance to cover a tummy tuck, you’ll need to prove that you need a medically necessary tummy tuck. Unfortunately, explaining to your insurer that boosted self-esteem will improve your overall health typically won’t fly as an excuse when you’re wondering, “Are tummy tucks covered by insurance?”

One situation in which Medicaid will pay out for your tummy tuck is if the excess skin is causing you back pain because of the additional weight it’s putting on your spine. You may also have incontinence that can be solved by a tummy tuck, but those are essentially the only cases in which a tummy tuck will be performed on its own and covered by your Medicaid.

Can a tummy tuck be covered by insurance in other circumstances? There are times when a doctor may perform a tummy tuck at the same time as another procedure. For example, if you go in for a hernia repair and the doctor performs a tummy tuck at the same time, it may be covered by your Medicaid.

How Much Will a Tummy Tuck Cost Me?

Will insurance pay for a tummy tuck? Most likely not, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the end of the world. Thankfully, tummy tucks are relatively affordable as far as cosmetic procedures go, and while you don’t want to cheap out when it comes to your health, you won’t have to if you’re willing to save a bit of money.

The average cost of a tummy tuck tends to be between $5000 and $6000, though this can vary dramatically based on where you’re getting the procedure done and the surgeon’s training. For example, some tummy tucks can cost you as much as $12,000 and some can cost as low as $3000.

If this seems a bit steep to you, it’s always possible to arrange a payment plan with the cosmetic clinic that you intend to work with. This will allow you to enjoy a better quality of life after your tummy tuck without having to worry about being on the hook for a huge sum all at once.

As with most medical procedures, you’ll want to take the time to sit down with your doctor and address what you want out of your tummy tuck. If you need a smaller tummy tuck that’s a little less invasive, you may find yourself paying quite a bit less than the average.