Patients who seek smaller inner labia often wonder, “Does insurance cover labiaplasty?”
Unfortunately, when it comes to most types of vaginal rejuvenation, the answer is no. In this article, we’ll go over why health insurance rarely covers labiaplasty. We’ll also discuss the major cost factors that influence labiaplasty cost in Las Vegas and what options most patients have for financing.
Does Health Insurance Cover Surgery For Labiaplasty?
When plastic surgeries are deemed medically necessary by insurance companies, and not for purely cosmetic reasons, full or partial coverage is typically applied. Therefore, the real struggle is convincing an insurance company that your concerns are serious and that the surgery you’re seeking is indeed medically necessary.
Each insurance company has their own policy regarding “borderline “cosmetic procedures like labiaplasty (those procedures that are sometimes covered by insurance and sometimes not). Furthermore, your individual insurance plan may vary. This means that, ultimately, you’ll need to speak directly with your health insurance provider to know whether labioplasty will be covered in your unique case.
If your provider does offer coverage in certain situations, you’ll then need to learn more about the requirements for coverage.
For example, with breast reduction surgery (which is sometimes covered by insurance), health insurance providers want to know that the patient has had physical discomfort, for example, chronic back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, chafing, rashes, chronic urinary tract infections, etc.
These things typically all need to be documented and backed up by a doctor’s review.
As stated above, in the case of labiaplasty surgery, most procedures are not covered. That’s because most labiaplasty procedures are not technically seen as “reconstructive surgery” wherein the procedure is improving a person’s appearance and/or function.
Labiaplasty Cost Factors
All cosmetic surgery procedures are different. However, the vast majority of labiaplasty procedures will involve the following elements, each of which will influence the final cost of surgery.
- Geographic location of surgery
- Surgeon fees
- General anesthesia vs local anesthesia
- Anesthesiologist fees
- Operating room fees
- Aftercare costs
- Pre- and post-op appointment costs
Labiaplasty Financing Options
The good news is that most of the time, labiaplasty surgery is one of the least expensive cosmetic surgeries.
Therefore, patients who do not qualify for insurance coverage are often able to pay for the procedure out-of-pocket after some saving or with help from a personal loan. Most plastic surgeons will also accept major credit cards or will have financing options available through companies like CareCredit.
Of course, this isn’t true of all surgeons’s practices. So, be sure to speak with your plastic surgeon’s billing and financing team to know what your options are. Labiaplasty cost and payment options are things that can be discussed at your consultation appointment.
Who Needs Labiaplasty?
The truth is that a woman’s inner labia are unique to her. Every woman has a different labia size and shape. And truthfully, no woman should be compelled to feel embarrassed or shameful about her labia.
On the other hand, many women struggle with the size and shape of their labia because of comfort-related reasons. They may struggle to find comfortable clothing, avoid wearing tight clothing, feel embarrassed about being seen in a bathing suit, have difficulties exercising or riding a bike, or have pain or emotional issues when being intimate with a partner.
For all of these reasons, women frequently seek out surgery to reduce the size of their inner vaginal lips and are overwhelmingly happy with their labiaplasty results.
FAQ: Labiaplasty and Insurance Coverage
Does insurance cover a labiaplasty if the patient is in pain?
Although many patients seek labiaplasty for aesthetic reasons, some patients also struggle with discomfort and pain because of having hypertrophic labia minora (inner labia).
Despite asking your insurance company for coverage because of this, most insurance companies will not provide coverage for an issue that causes daily discomfort. They are more concerned with covering surgeries they deem “medically necessary”.
Is labiaplasty surgery covered by insurance for frequent UTIs?
UTIs (urinary tract infections) can be painful. They can also be dangerous, as some may cause more serious kidney infections. However, even if your large labia minora seem to be causing recurrent UTIs, getting labiaplasty covered by insurance because of this will be difficult.
Insurance companies do occasionally cover plastic surgery. However, they’re more likely to cover a reconstructive surgery, which corrects abnormal issues that may be reducing your ability to function or have a normal appearance.
What are the side effects of labiaplasty surgery?
Common side effects of labiaplasty surgery may include temporary discomfort, labiaplasty swelling, bruising, changes in sensation, infection, scarring, and potential asymmetry.
Arrange a Labiaplasty Consultation Appointment
Is labiaplasty a cosmetic surgery procedure you’ve been considering? Despite labiaplasty insurance coverage being hard to attain, many patients still find that their lifestyle and health are consistently affected by having large labia minora. And these patients frequently decide to pursue the surgical procedure anyway to remove the excess tissue.
To learn more about the labiaplasty cosmetic procedure and find out if you’re a good candidate for surgery, please contact our office today to arrange a consultation appointment with experienced and board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Rachel Mason.