While cosmetic surgery and body implant procedures were once often seen as being only for the wealthy, people from all income brackets are now finding that they can afford this type of surgery. Before you decide to have body implants, however, you should always carefully consider the total costs associated with the surgery and explore your payment options. Cosmetic surgery costs can vary significantly based on your unique needs, the type of surgery that is performed and many other factors.
How Much Do Body Implants Cost?
The actual costs of body implants are difficult to gauge, since they vary so much from patient to patient. Your expenses can be affected by the type of surgery, the number of procedures, the experience of the surgeon, geographic location and a number of other variables. For most body implant procedures, the minimum expenses ranges somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000. In order to get an estimate of the exact cost of your surgery, discuss your concerns with your doctor.
Will Insurance Cover the Surgery?
For the vast majority of patients, insurance cannot be used to pay expenses associated with cosmetic surgery. Because body implants are considered an elective procedure, they are not covered by most health insurance plans. However, there are some exceptions. Some insurance plans may help pay associated costs such as expenses related to anesthesia, follow-up care and some surgical procedures. You should always check with your insurance carrier to see if your surgery qualifies for partial coverage.
What are the Payment Options for Body Implants?
Since cosmetic surgery is typically not covered by insurance, you will need to find alternate ways to pay for body implant procedures. Fortunately, most plastic surgery centers offer a number of different payment options. Most are able to accept almost all major credit cards including VISA, MasterCard and American Express. However, many surgeons require a substantial down payment prior to the surgery. Down payment amounts can range considerably, but most are somewhere between 25 and 50 percent of the total cost of the surgery.
It is important to note that credit cards are certainly not your only payment option. Loans are another alternative that can allow you to pay for your surgery, but at a much lower interest rate than most credit cards. The exact terms and conditions of these loans may vary, so it is important to find the right choice for your financial needs. Discuss your concerns with your doctor. In many cases, your chosen surgical center can refer you to a lending company that has a great reputation for excellence.
By: Kendra Wagner
Posts Tagged ‘Surgery Centers’
Cosmetic Surgery Statistics – Rising Consumer Interest
November 5th, 2009It’s official – interest in cosmetic surgery continues to climb as technological advancements make procedures more accessible, more affordable and safer than ever before. Cosmetic surgery is no longer reserved for the wealthy or famous – most cities are inundated with plastic surgery centers offering everything from body contouring procedures like liposuction and breast augmentation to facial rejuvenation procedures, laser hair removal, eyelid surgery, chin and cheek implants, and other innovative enhancement procedures.
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) [http://www.surgery.org/] reports that nearly 11.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the U.S. The organization The Aesthetic Society has collected important data on cosmetic procedures since 1997, and their numbers add up to a 444% increase in the number of cosmetic procedures since that time! What were the most popular procedures last year? In the nonsurgical category, BOTOX took the award and liposuction won in the surgical category.
Here are a few of the statistics reported in the latest ASAPS report:
· Breast augmentation is up by 9%, and breast lift is up by 23%
· Women had 91% of cosmetic procedures
· The number of procedures performed on men was nearly 1 million
· Surgical procedures made up almost 19% of the total procedures with nonsurgical procedures comprising 81%
· Since 1997, surgical procedures have increased by 119% and nonsurgical procedures by 726%
· The top five surgical procedures were (in descending order): liposuction, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), rhinoplasty (nose surgery), and abominoplasty (tummy tuck)
· The top five nonsurgical procedures were: BOTOX, laser hair removal, hyaluronic acid treatments, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels
· The top five procedures for men were: liposuction, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, male breast reduction, and facelift
· 83.4% of breast augmentation procedures were completed with saline implants, and the remaining 16.6% chose silicone
· Patients between age 35 and 50 accounted for the majority of cosmetic procedures at 47% of the total
“It is clear that an increasing number of people are considering cosmetic surgery a viable investment,” said respected Orange County cosmetic surgeon Dr. Edward Jonas Domanskis. “ The procedures offered today are far more advanced and offer a wider variety of options than the field of cosmetic surgery has ever experienced.”
The age group that seems to be affecting cosmetic surgery statistics most is the Baby Boomer generation. Aging Baby Boomers see cosmetic surgery as a real solution that fits comfortably into their lives. With affordable financing plans and quicker recovery times, many cosmetic procedures allow people to get great results with minimal down time.
By: Patricia Woloch
