skin removal surgery cost?

Akimajuktuq

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

Really harsh, glad you are not a buddy of mine!

This is the wrong site for fat people haters. All the people here are doing something! Also, I love how it's so easy to ignore that the biggest part of the obesity problem is that we are being lied to about what is healthy food and how to lose weight (get healthy). But I'm sure in your simplified life it's all just calories in/calories out and the complex endocrine system plays no role whatsoever. It's much easier to blame every fat person you see than to take a long look at our society, government agencies, profit-making industries, etc and contemplate their role in the obesity/diabetes/cancer epidemic.

tedrickp

Medical insurance should never cover anything that is not medically necessary. The fact that so many non-medically necessary medications and procedures are now mandated has only only driven up costs for everyone.

A lot of people live with various degrees of dissatisfaction with their appearance. In the free market one can shop around and choose options which suit their needs and budget or adapt to the hand your are dealt.

If someone wants to start a charity that earmarks those who have lost a lot of weight, great. But this is not something that we should all be forced to pay for through higher taxes or higher insurance premiums.

I don't expect anyone else to pay what I did to my body through my own choices. Nobody forced me to down Doritos a bag at a time. I did that on my own.

BTW, if insurance ever did start covering this type of surgery the cost would skyrocket as it always does when somebody else pays.

This is kind of short sighted IMO.

I see where you are coming from but if this issue truly comes down to dollars and cents - then the price of this surgery will be more than offset by the lack of obesity fuelled medical problems down the road.

Encouraging people to lose weight and get healthy, even if that includes paying for these type of surgeries is actually a long term money saver.

Also from looking into this, Canada does cover it - only if you have kept the weight off for 2 years + .

So when you consider that the person has to be big enough to have significant loose skin, then they have to attain a healthy weight and maintain it for over 2 years, there probably isn't enough of these surgeries even being done to cause a significant health care cost rise.

I'd be interested to look at the Canadian stats on how many of those surgeries are even done in a year....

bjsturner2007

look into live skin donation my dad had talked to his doctor about doing the band but he will have a lot of extra skin he is over 400 lbs. his doctor told him to do the live skin donation after he had lose his weight. they pay for the whole surgery and you are saving lives in the process

kazzsjourney

I have lost 188 pounds and do have excess skin. I have no medical conditions tho with it and apart from cosmetics causes me know hinderance. I live in australia and a body lift here is about $15000 even with private health insurance. But i dress well and its not really obvious (i dont think) so while surgery may not be doable dont let it put you off...you can still lose weight and look good even with excess skin

Justkeepswimmin

I think that for those who lose a lot of weight and keep it off should get it for FREE!!!!!!
That's just my opinion
Great job on your loss Sorry I'm not helpful

Hah I seriously hope that's a joke Nothings free someone pays, if we didn't gain weight in the first place we wouldn't have extra skin to get rid of. Yayy personal responsibility. I'm gonna guess you're joking haha.

vidasana87

I am a patient care coordinator for a Plastic Surgeon. I can chat with you about this further, if you'd like.

jenny@royalcentreofplasticsurgery.com

Best,

Jenny

Justkeepswimmin

The UK NHS only pays for plastic surgery if you say not having big boobs prevents you from realizing your dream of becoming a model even if your face is a train wreck.

Medical insurance should never cover anything that is not medically necessary. The fact that so many non-medically necessary medications and procedures are now mandated has only only driven up costs for everyone.

A lot of people live with various degrees of dissatisfaction with their appearance. In the free market one can shop around and choose options which suit their needs and budget or adapt to the hand your are dealt.

If someone wants to start a charity that earmarks those who have lost a lot of weight, great. But this is not something that we should all be forced to pay for through higher taxes or higher insurance premiums.

I don't expect anyone else to pay what I did to my body through my own choices. Nobody forced me to down Doritos a bag at a time. I did that on my own.

BTW, if insurance ever did start covering this type of surgery the cost would skyrocket as it always does when somebody else pays.

I like you.

craigmandu

What about teaching hospitals? Is this a procedure that could be pro bono ???

I have very mixed feelings on whether or not insurance should cover it. I understand completely why they should, and I understand completely why they shouldn't. I don't really consider it the same as say medical care for lung cancer, since one is needed to attempt to save a life, where the other isn't. (You could argue if the weight wasn't lost then it could have ultimately been the same thing)....

I'm actually a bit torn on this issue... It's such a great accomplishment, and such an inspiring act to lose that much weight, it just sucks that the skin of the body doesn't return. I understand that once something is stretched enough, it simply can't get back down to its original size, the elasticity simply doesn't work like that. It just sucks!

I sincerely hope, that NO ONE reading this thread gets discouraged, it's more important in my eyes to lose that weight!

herblackwings39

I'd assume that by worrying about whether or not insurance will cover the procedure the person wondering is paying for insurance coverage. If this assumption is true I see no reason for, something they are paying premiums for, insurance to not cover it provided there is some medical need.

Kst76

I think that for those who lose a lot of weight and keep it off should get it for FREE!!!!!!
That's just my opinion
Great job on your loss Sorry I'm not helpful

I agree!!! After all, how much money are you saving them by living healthier!

Agree and agree!!!!

Agreee
and
Agree
and
Agree!

mothib79

One of my friends has gotten it done, In Canada, medicare will possibly cover if you lose more than 100lbs but you have to go thru some tests and assessments. I am going to speak to my doctor about it this month.

SkeletonSong

It depends on if how much you get done. As low as 4k as high as 15-20k. My insurance said that if the doctor said the loose skin was a health risk then they'd cover it. If you can convince your doctor to say it is such, or they agree it is then you'll get a lot less fight from most insurance companies.

Biggajoo

I'm not going into my life story on thiss... but, 160 lbs later and Ifell into this category of excess skin. Now Ihave a problem with low t. I figured it was from playing games all the time when infact Ihave come to the conclusion that my testicles cannot receive their full contraction due to the skin causing everything to sag. I've done everything possible to naturally raise the levels...however nothing. I took on a bodybuilding way of life to change the skin naturally but nothing worked. I'm sure insurance will cover me to get this surgery since there are actual problems caused by the skin.

jkleon86

Years ago I did a diet called "THE CARE-LA-WAY DIET" and went to meetings and all. It was strongly encouraged to drink a cup of
buttermilk every day to help keep the elasticity in the skin. I was only 19 then so everything then was fine so I couldn't really tell, but I'm 52 now but trying to drink my buttermilk everyday I figure it won't hurt.to work it in to my calories. The older ones there swore by it so I'm going for it.

Cindymop

You go girl!!!!!!

kr1stadee

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

Well, insurance pays for cancer treatments when people have been lifelong smokers... they did that to theirselves also..

^^ yep, exactly!

to the other poster that was quoted first, I can't see your post, so I'm assuming that you have no weight to lose, correct?

Get over yourself (again, can't see, so I'm assuming you're a man and has never witnessed a pregnancy)

NonnyMary

This sounds harsh and maybe it is but the saddest part to me is that anyone allows their body to get so overweight and stretched that you need to have pounds of skin removed. Maybe put pictures on chip and soda cans of naked people with saggy skin like they do pictures on cigarette packages. I can understand insurance not paying for something you intentionally did to yourself.

It saddens me to read such insensitive and indelicate words. Obesity is not as simple as this poster claims it to be. There are often other issues surrounding the person's condition. Most people who post on here want and receive encouragement. I'm sorry to say but posts like these contribute nothing of value to anyone else in the community. Sometimes opinions such as these are best kept to yourself.

I have an issue with this. I am of the belief that it is mostly due to what we choose to put in our mouths, whether we did it in ignorance of the unhealthiness of it, or whether we did it coz it tasted good.

There may be some medical conditions or meds that you take that cause weight gain. But my question is, do you believe that most overweight is because of our choices? No one forced me to eat all that i did to get here. yes i grew up where parents said eat all on your plate because people are starving in India. When i became an adult and moved out, i had total control over everything that went into my mouth.

This is how i feel about the matter of overweight due to choices vs medical conditions causing it.

pkw58

Honestly, I have no problem with people seeking skin removal surgery after weight loss and insurance paying for it. The aspect everyone seems to be missing is the depression that can set in - people who have saggy skin after weight loss and maintain their weight for two years are at risk for a huge letdown depending on how much they have. I think I would not want to carry around 7 pounds of excess weight in skin, it sounds painful. Excess skin is different than excess fat - the person who has excess skin has done EVERYTHING they can do to get healthy. What's the difference between removing excess skin and a knee replacement???? Seriously, I own my weight. I own what I eat and how much I move. I don't want surgeries and it motivated me to get and maintain a healthy weight. But for people who will need surgery after weight loss, let's not leave them out of options and funding.

Sound medical and lifestyle practice before and after removal - yes. If we say obesity is a medical condition or disease, and the treatment is to lose weight, correcting the impact of the after effects of losing an obese lifestyle and demonstrating a healthy lifestyle change for two years (or whatever the correct amount of time is) and getting the necessary treatment to get a person whole again is no different than correct the impact of any other treatable medical condition.

I do hope anyone seeking excess skin removal looks into donating any healthy skin the burn centers will take. And for those who are on the path to loosing the fat and gaining excess skin that will need to be donated/removed, keep going. You are a role model to the rest of us.

Much thanks for the informative thread.

Brad805

I had the full 360 circumferential skin removal surgery 1 year ago yesterday. It was about $12,000 and insurance covered a whopping $1,000.
Jen

jenhudsonmosher.blogspot.com

Its awesome you are willing to share these pictures and personal story..

I have mixed feelings about anyone else helping pay for my surgery, but the comments about insurance paying for lung cancer patients is an interesting point. Those surgeries are to prevent death, but this type of surgery is mainly to improve one's well being and has little to do about physical health. Regardless, I doubt the insurance companies will change anytime soon.

A very good thread

MsDrJuris

One of my clients lost a lot of weight and she said she was having her skin removed for free at a local burn center hospital. Not sure if you have a burn center hospital near you but she went to the Shriners Burn Center hospital in Galveston , Texas.

Im not sure if she went through with it but it maybe an option and a way to help a burn victim.

I also have a friend who is reducing her surgery cost by donating her excess skin! I had NEVER heard of this practice before, but it's a great way to mitigate costs and to help someone out in the long run!