As most people know, cosmetic surgery is not covered by health insurance. This educational writing will review my monetary policy for those interested in proceeding with their procedure. This writing was done at the request of a patient from Dover, DE interested in a tummy tuck. It will outline the policies that are important for all considering cosmetic surgery with me. Upon registration in the office you must review and sign a copy of the monetary policy.
The basic concept of the policy is as follows. If you want to have the surgery, you must understand there will be financial costs. Health insurance, as I have already said, does not cover cosmetic surgery. This unfortunately has been the case for decades. Plastic surgeons want health insurance to cover it. We think that if it was covered more people could get their tummy tuck, face lift, liposuction, or desired procedure. But it is NOT covered, and this is important to understand.
The amount of money or cost of your procedure will be reviewed with you in detail. I give all patients a cost analysis sheet that outlines your exact operation and all expenses. The cost is GLOBAL. This means that there are no hidden fees. The price includes surgery, anesthesia, and facility fees. All pre-operative and post-operative visits are included. Your expenses are clearly outlined. You can completely trust us in this regard. Prescriptions will be given to you before surgery. You must buy these medications. The prescriptions are provided, but you must buy them. Health insurance almost always includes these costs and the costs of pre-operative labs and tests.
Getting Ready for Surgery
Once you decide to proceed with surgery, you are agreeing to pay the expenses of your procedure. $500 is due when scheduling. This is nonrefundable. The remainder of your balance is due a month before surgery. This is the basics of the policy. The deposit, as described, is nonrefundable. Please do not schedule surgery, if you are not sure you want it. Once you say you are proceeding and are scheduled, you are spending your deposit. My office staff works from that moment on to assist me and to ensure the safest and best cosmetic operation possible. You basically spend the deposit when scheduling. This is why it is not refundable. Most people understand this aspect of the policy.
The remainder of your surgical expenses are due one month before surgery. Please help us with prompt payment when it is due. You can pay with cash, credit, or check. Most people are very responsible and pay on time. We are thankful for help with this part of the surgery. If you do not honor this responsibility however, you could be cancelled and lose your deposit.
The office staff and I understand that surgery can be expensive. If you can not afford surgery, please do not schedule it or save money until you can. We can help you with this if necessary. I had a patient who could not afford her facelift. So she paid $100 a month over several years to slowly save the extra money she needed to pay her expenses.
Patient Financing
Care credit is available for those interested. It is approved by the American Society of Plastic Surgery. Care credit is basically a loan for money needed for the cosmetic surgery. There is also an interest free period as well. It can help allow monthly payments to help budget your procedure. Different payment periods are available. You should check online about details. Also, my manager Vicky can help with this too.
Occasionally things in life interfere with surgery, and you might need to cancel. This should be done as far in advance as possible. Your life and your obligations are important. But the surgical team and I have schedules as well. Please try, when scheduling, to pick a time and date that you can keep. If you have to cancel unexpectedly, please let us know right away. There is no penalty for cancelling a month in advance. This is important. If you must cancel with less than a month to go, you could have financial loss as outlined in the policy. This is never wanted by the office or me. Please avoid this, by scheduling a date that from the start is good for you. If you cancel, it costs money to the surgery center which is why monies are lost.
My staff and I will work closely with you to give you the best experience as possible with your cosmetic surgery. We spend a lot of time and effort to achieve this goal. We want you to have the best facelift, tummy tuck, breast augmentation, or other procedure. Please help us do this by understanding your financial obligations. If you have any questions about this-please call. We will do everything possible to help you. To the patient from Dover, DE and all other prospective patients, I hope this was helpful.
