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The cost of breast augmentation surgery is one of the main reasons why so many women put off getting breast implants.
Unlike other surgeries, health insurance companies will not cover the costs of breast augmentation surgeries, as they are seen as cosmetic procedures. There are a few exceptions to this rule, particularly for breast reconstruction, but for most women insurance coverage is not an option.
Even though the costs of breast augmentation surgery are becoming more accessible and affordable, it still can be too expensive to pay upfront with cash.
Luckily, today women have more options for financing their breast augmentation surgery, ranging from special care credit cards, personal loans from a bank or credit union, and even online crowdfunding sites.
At Emmett Plastic Surgery, we offer CareCredit, Prosper Healthcare Lending, and a partnership with our local bank, Simmons Bank.
Can breast implants be covered by health insurance?
Women looking to undergo breast augmentation often ask if the procedure is covered by their insurance. Unfortunately, most insurance companies consider breast augmentation to be an elective, or cosmetic surgery and are not willing to cover the costs.
However, for women who have had cancer and received a mastectomy, breast reconstruction surgery may be covered.
Some insurance companies may also cover the costs associated with breast revision surgery, particularly if an implant has ruptured or is causing a rippling texture in the breasts. In these instances, insurance may cover the costs to prevent any health hazards.
We’ve also seen some insurance companies cover breast augmentation for women with asymmetrical breasts, but this may be more difficult depending on your insurance.
Be sure to check your insurance policy for specific language related to cosmetic, elective, and reconstructive surgery.
Breast augmentation financing options
To learn more about financing for augmentation, read our list of financing options to get more ideas on how to fund your breast augmentation surgery.
Your plastic surgeon’s payment plan options
Plastic surgeons know that the price of getting breast implants can be prohibitive to some of their patients. This is why many plastic surgeons offer multiple financing options to make paying for surgery more accessible and sustainable.
At Emmett Plastic Surgery, we offer the three following financing options.
CareCredit®
CareCredit financing has become a very popular choice used by several plastic surgeons and health provider offices across America.
CareCredit is a credit card that provides funding for medical procedures. They offer several different types of cards, depending on the type of procedures and treatments offered.
Their Cosmetic and Beauty Financing credit card helps cover the breast augmentation, as well as other cosmetic surgeries, such as rhinoplasty, liposuction, tummy tuck, mommy makeover, body sculpting, and more.
Like all credit cards, CareCredit comes with a minimum monthly payment.
Simmons Bank
For patients looking to get a personal loan to cover the surgery, we recommend contacting Simmons Bank.
We have an established relationship with Simmons Bank, as they’ve been a Lone Tree, Colorado banking institution for over 14 years.
To contact Simmons Bank Lone Tree office, give them a call at 303-706-1723 and tell them you were referred by Emmett Plastic Surgery.
Prosper® Healthcare Lending
Prosper Healthcare Lending aims to make financing breast augmentation more accessible than ever.
For those wishing to avoid high-interest rates often charged by credit cards, Prosper gives their customers simple installment loans with no retroactive interest.
This means the interest rate will remain fixed and not change, making payments more predictable and affordable to pay off over time.
Personal credit cards
Paying for surgery with a personal card is another option, however, it’s best to avoid putting this expense on a high-interest credit card. The interest rate over time will add serious unintended expense.
This is where a CareCredit card or Prosper Healthcare Lending loans can be a better option.
However, if you decide to pay for your surgery with a credit card, here are a couple of tips to reduce the fees and interest:
- Try to use a credit card that has the lowest interest possible.
- Consider signing up for a zero-interest credit card (for the first 12 months) and try to pay off your balance before your interest rate changes.
Personal loans from a bank or credit union
Besides getting a special medical credit card or loan specifically meant for plastic surgery, this is probably your next best option to pay for your breast augmentation surgery.
Getting a personal loan from a bank will often have a much lower interest rate than a traditional credit card. If you’re a member of a credit union, it’ll be possible to get an even lower interest rate.
Out of pocket or savings accounts
If you have the money already saved in a checking or savings account, this will be the easiest option, although for many people, this is not possible.
Crowdfunding online
Online crowdfunding for augmentation has been picking up popularity in the past few years.
Platforms like getcosmetic.com and myfreeimplants.com let users set up crowdfunding campaigns to raise funds for their upcoming cosmetic procedures.
Crowdfunding offline: Friends and family gifts and donations
For those that don’t want to set up online crowdfunding accounts, the next best thing is crowdfunding from your friends and family.
Instead of getting traditional gifts for your birthday or the Holiday season, ask your family to donate money for your surgery fund.
Since breast augmentation can be expensive, you may wish just to have friends and family donate to your surgery fund throughout the year, or a couple of years to help raise money for your special present to yourself.
Save up
The last option is saving up mindfully every paycheck, making sure to set aside a certain percentage of your income for your “breast augmentation fund” in a separate bank account.
Setting aside $50 or $100 every paycheck, or every other paycheck into a separate savings account will help you raise funds over time in a sustainable way.
Like crowdfunding from your friends and family, it might take a year or two to save up the money, but once you do, it’ll be interest-free and be a better option for paying off your breast augmentation surgery.
Schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Emmett
Dr. Jennifer Emmett, M.D. is a double-board certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast augmentation.
Her office, Emmett Plastic Surgery, is located in Lone Tree, Colorado, and serves the greater Denver and Centennial areas.
In addition to augmentation, she and her staff also specialize in breast reduction, breast lifts, body contouring, facial surgery, rhinoplasty, and many more cosmetic surgeries.
Have you been considering getting breast augmentation surgery? If so, please contact us or call at 303-955-7545 to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Emmett, and learn what’s possible at Emmett Plastic Surgery.
