Will insurance cover tummy tuck for back pain?
To live our lives without worrying about essential expenses, we take the help of insurance. It becomes more prominent when it comes to medical costs and fees for surgeries.
Hence, we can conclude insurance does help us when we need it the most. But it also comes with many rules and regulations that stop it from covering every one of our problems. This is why one also needs clarification about whether insurance covers tummy tucks for back pain.
Will insurance cover tummy tuck for back pain?
A straightforward answer to this question will be it depends. Medical insurance primarily covers surgeries that are essential to your well-being. In such a case, a tummy tuck, traditionally considered cosmetic surgery, is not covered by insurance.
But it has been clinically proven that tummy tucks can help with chronic back pain. If your doctor can provide clearance for a medically sanctioned tummy tuck operation needed to take care of your back, then your insurance company might accept to pay for it. There is a certain criterion, along with a set of tests, screenings, and diagnoses, that you must go through to get your tummy tuck covered by insurance. Take a look at the below-mentioned table to know more.
| S. No. | Criterion | Does Insurance Cover It? |
| 1. | Severe pain in the lower back. | Yes |
| 2. | Improving appearance. | No |
| 3. | Panniculitis diagnosis and panniculectomies. | Yes |
| 4. | Excess skin disrupting daily life. | Yes |
| 5. | BMI greater than 30. | Yes |
| 6. | Tests and screenings are hinting tummy tucks as a medical necessity. | Yes |
In the case of postpartum
Diastasis recti, a disease in which the abdominal muscle separates during and after pregnancy, can cause back pain. A comprehensive tummy tuck strengthens and restores this muscle, typically resulting in an improvement in the patient’s posture and the relief of back pain.
Unfortunately, most health insurance companies still view tummy tucks as solely cosmetic treatments, despite their health benefits being scientifically proven. Consider getting a belly tuck with a no-interest payment plan to enhance your postpartum quality of life.
Seek advice from your doctor or healthcare provider who can declare this a medical necessity if tests, imaging, etc., are provided.
More detailed information is provided here.
Can you get a tummy tuck for back pain?
It has been medically proven that tummy tuck can significantly help patients with severe back pain. Most of the time, your back pain might not be related to the fat allocation in your body. But there can be times when this operation can improve your core strength, potentially relieving your lower back pain through surgery.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Does a tummy tuck take care of back fat?
A 3D tummy tuck is a newer technique that combines traditional abdominoplasty with liposuction to achieve a complete result. While this procedure can remove excess skin and fat from the abdomen, it may indirectly address lower back fat, hips, and flanks.
If you have extra fat on your back, a plastic surgeon may advise a different procedure, like a backlift, to reduce it.
2) Which is more painful, liposuction or tummy tuck?
Both liposuction and tummy tuck surgery are invasive procedures that involve some level of discomfort or pain during the recovery period.
In general, tummy tuck surgery is considered to be more painful than liposuction, as it involves extensive incisions and muscle tightening, leading to significant postoperative discomfort. On top of that, tummy tuck patients may experience tightness or stiffness in the abdomen for several weeks after surgery, contributing to the overall pain.
Liposuction, on the other hand, involves smaller incisions and less muscle manipulation. While discomfort is normal after this procedure, it is less painful than a tummy tuck.
But everyone’s experience with pain can differ, and your surgeon can tell you more in detail about what to expect based on your case. Regardless of the type of procedure, taking pain medication as prescribed, resting as needed, and following your surgeon’s instructions for postoperative care can help tremendously.
3) Who should not consider a tummy tuck?
Pregnant women or anyone planning for pregnancy should not consider tummy tuck and wait for some time until after they have given birth.
4) What are the worst days after a tummy tuck?
The first three to five days after the surgery are the patient’s most crucial and worst days. But after some time, any danger to them subsides.
Wrapping It Up
Though it is not 100% sure that insurance will pay for your tummy tuck, even for back pain, we still urge you to get insurance. It can tremendously lessen pressure on your shoulders so that you can look after yourself and not consider unnecessary expenditures.
Also, read Is excess skin removal surgery covered by insurance?
