Funding your Plastic Surgery with Health Insurance or ACC

Funding your Plastic Surgery with Health Insurance or ACC

Download Dr Mark Gittos’ Ultimate Guide to Plastic Surgery Costs in New Zealand to find out the cost of Surgery

Will Insurance help fund my Plastic Surgery?

Cosmetic plastic surgery procedures are considered “elective surgery” and are NOT covered by most insurance plans. But some plastic surgery procedures have a significant functional or medical benefit and may be considered as reconstructive surgery rather than purely cosmetic surgery.

Dr Gittos can assess whether you may be eligible for assistance from your insurance fund.

He will then recommend that you contact your insurance company before surgery to check if the insurance guidelines are met and coverage is possible.

What plastic surgery could be covered by health insurance?

If you meet the specific guidelines of your private health insurer you MAY be able to get coverage for some plastic & reconstructive surgery procedures including:

• Breast Reduction & Breast Reconstruction
• Septo/Rhinoplasty – Nose Surgery
• Blepharoplasty & Ptosis Correction
• Labiaplasty
• Carpal Tunnel
• Dupuytren’s Contracture
• Ganglions
• De Quervains
• Skin Lesion Removal

Will Southern Cross Health insurance cover my surgery?

The Southern Cross Health Society is New Zealand’s leading health insurance business with more than 800,000 members and is a large not-for-profit group of independent, health-related businesses like hospitals.

Dr Gittos is an affiliated provider of the Southern Cross Health Society.

• Dr Gittos has Affiliated Provider Contracts for eyelid surgery –  blepharoplasty for functional reasons. A prerequisite for this type of surgery is visual field testing to establish if you qualify for the procedure.
• Dr Gittos is also an Affiliated Provider for skin cancer assessment, biopsy, removal of pre-cancerous lesions and cysts.

You must meet the current Southern Cross Health Eligibility Guidelines which are listed on the website here

Here are  some of the Eligibility Guidelines for Southern Cross Health:

• Bilateral Breast Reduction Eligibility Guidelines
• Fat Grafting following eligible Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction Eligibility Guidelines
• Open SeptoRhinoplasty or Balloon Septoplasty – Nose Surgery Eligibility Guidelines
• Blepharoplasty & Ptosis Correction Eligibility Guidelines
• Skin Lesion Removal & Minor Skin Surgery Eligibility Guidelines

 To find out about any other procedures and eligibility check Southern Cross Health website here

Please contact your insurance company directly if you have any questions regarding your specific insurance cover

Will NIB cover my surgery?

Dr Gittos is a nib First Choice network provider – Visit the NIB Claims website for more information.

Will AIA cover my surgery?

Visit the AIA Website

Will Partnerslife cover my surgery?

Visit the Partnerslife website

Will Accuro cover my surgery?

Visit the Accuro Website

Will ACC help pay for my plastic surgery?

The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)  covers everyone, including visitors, who are injured in an accident in New Zealand. It includes events that result in mass casualties. The scheme covers children, beneficiaries, students, if you’re working, unemployed, or retired.

Dr Mark Gittos is a registered ACC provider and may be able to assist you to make a claim for reconstructive plastic surgery if it is covered.

ACC subsidies are typically available for treatments needed as a result of an accident or injury.

Dr Gittos can assist you with the assessment and treatment of

• Scars
• Revision Surgery (required after a botched cosmetic procedure)
• Hand Injuries
• Trauma wounds
• Burn injuries like disfigurement and tissue loss

There may be other procedures that ACC can also help cover – please ask.

Legislative changes have meant that patients are often required to make a contribution to the treatment. Charges will depend on the length of the appointment required to deal with the complexity of your injury.
There is an ACC co-payment of $30 for the initial consult/assessment and $45 for follow up treatments/appointments. For all other procedure/fee estimates please contact the clinic.

For more information, please see the ACC website and contact them directly