As the news and entertainment media focus on our society’s obesity epidemic, another more hopeful story is being missed.  People everywhere are deciding to make a positive change in their lives by losing significant amounts of weight.  Whether by Bariatric Surgery or by medically supervised dieting and exercise, patients are losing 50 – 100 lbs. or more in a year.  While the patients’ health improves, diabetes and high blood pressure resolve and knee joints stop hurting.  One thing, however, often remains.  The extra skin that the body had to make to surround all of that fat doesn’t go away when the fat does. 

A question we are often asked by our patients is about insurance payment for extra skin removal.  In general, insurance companies consider the medical problems from obesity are covered, but the excess skin is a non-covered cosmetic defect.  This is in keeping with their attitude that the premature wrinkles and aging of the face experienced by smokers is a non-covered cosmetic defect while lung cancer and heart disease are covered.  Exceptions to the rule revolve around the skin excess causing a medical situation.  Frequent rashes , skin breakdown or ulcers are medical complications of excess skin which should be treated by doctor and patient alike.  In extreme cases, this situation may warrant excess skin removal surgery.  Good documentation by the treating physician will help the insurance company decide on reimbursement in these unusual situations.  It is our aim to advocate for your medical care.  At the same time, we must help you to have realistic expectations regarding your health insurance coverage.