Is Jaw Surgery Cosmetic Surgery?
And Does My Insurance Cover That?
Unfortunately, many people are under the misconception that corrective jaw surgery is seen as a cosmetic procedure. However, many health insurance policies cover orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery, and getting insurance coverage for jaw surgery is easier than many people might think. At McGann Facial Design, San Diego oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Grant McGann works very hard to make sure that his patients’ insurance policies cover their jaw surgery costs. Most health insurance policies, surch as those offered by Aetna, Anthem, or other providers, tend to have reasonable guidelines for jaw surgery coverage.
Enrique Cardenas, insurance specialist for Dr. McGann, works with patients to get their surgeries paid for. Enrique and the rest of the staff at McGann Facial Design work hard to familiarize themselves with the coverage requirements for each insurance company, and can even advise patients who have not yet gotten insurance, or are thinking about changing policies, about which companies and plans will provide the best jaw surgery medical coverage.
Many people question whether or not jaw surgery is cosmetic, but just because a procedure makes someone look better does not make it unnecessary or elective. Having an underbite, overbite, or facial asymmetry
not only makes someone feel self-conscious about their appearance, it can cause physical pain, an inability to eat, or even more serious conditions such as sleep apnea. Medical insurance companies recognize this, and it is in their best interest to provide treatment for jaw surgery patients before their problems develop into more expensive medical and dental problems later on in life.
“It’s really much more realistic to think of jaw surgery as a medically necessary procedure than a cosmetic one,” says Enrique. “At least, that’s how insurance companies tend to see it, and that’s how we see it, too.”
Learn more about the types of procedures that we perform at McGann Facial Design today: http://mcgannfacialdesign.com/procedures/
