You’ve probably heard that health insurance carriers aren’t too helpful with plastic surgery and usually turn customers down for coverage on breast implants. This isn’t always the case; depending on your situation you may be able to get coverage for your surgery. It all depends on your reasons for wanting breast augmentation. If those reasons relate to a past injury or illness (or sometimes a birth defect) there’s a great chance you’ll get covered.

Plastic surgery can be considered cosmetic, reconstructive, or both. Reconstructive plastic surgery is plastic surgery which is needed to repair damage and help a person lead a normal life, whereas cosmetic plastic surgery is aesthetic in nature. Naturally reconstructive surgery is usually aesthetic as well as reconstructive. Insurance carriers will cover reconstructive surgery because they see it as necessary, but won’t cover purely cosmetic surgery since they consider it elective.

Did you lose your breasts to cancer, or did you get into an accident that mutilated your breasts? If so, insurance carriers will usually cover your breast implants and surgical costs as they would any other type of surgery. You will want to call to make sure you know what part of the bill you might owe, but you shouldn’t let trepidations stand in your way.

If you are getting breast implants for reasons relating only to self image and confidence, your carrier won’t cover you (even though it may be necessary to you). You can reduce the cost though by traveling for your surgery to a rural area or even leaving the country for your surgery (a process called medical tourism). Costs of breast implants and surgeries vary greatly across geographical areas. You also may be able to save more money by getting saline implants, which are a bit less expensive than silicone implants.