What is Plastic Surgery?
Do not look for the sales rep of the company next time when you visit the plastic surgeon's office because, despite popular belief, there is no "plastic" in plastic surgery. The name comes from the Greek word "plastikos" which means "mold or shape. "
Initially plastic surgery procedures were limited to the reconstruction of facial and body caused by accidents, trauma, disease or birth defects. As people began to see the purely cosmetic possibilities, many surgeons expanded their services to include metamorphosis, rhinoplasty (nose jobs), breast augmentation and liposuction.It is important to know the difference between plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery, especially if you have your insurance company to foot the bill for your procedure.
Cosmetic surgery is performed only to improve the outward appearance and self-esteem a person by correcting naturally occurring conditions that the patient is not satisfied. Cosmetic Surgery can be performed by a plastic surgeon or cosmetic surgeon. Cosmetic surgery is usually not covered by health insurance.
Reconstructive plastic surgery is performed to correct or reduce the effects of birth defects, accidental trauma injury, infections, tumors and other conditions relating to health. Its main purpose is rarely to simply improve appearance except in extreme cases involving major facial or bodily damage resulting from automobile accidents, etc. .. Plastic surgery can be performed by a plastic surgeon.
In most cases insurance will pay for plastic surgery, although there are some cases where your application may be reduced or denied completely. Therefore, it is always important to coordinate the procedure with your health insurance provider before you get the procedure.
Often the difference between whether your insurance company will cover the bill is the reason for the procedure. If, for example, you have your nose reshaped because you're unhappy with your profile - no agreement. You're on your own. However, getting that same nose job because your doctor has diagnosed a chronic respiratory problem that causes potentially dangerous state, known as "Sleep Apnea" and you could end up with a new nose courtesy of your health insurance provider!
