Insurance Coverage for Hair Removal/Restoration?

[emeraldmountain]

Hi!

 

Has anyone here in the United States, or anyone you know of, been able to get their health insurance to approve hair removal (besides for surgery) and/or hair restoration, after being denied the first request? If you/they were able, how did you convince them?

Thanks!

[Carolyn Marie]

Not that I am aware of.  That doesn't mean it hasn't happened somewhere at some time under some circumstance.  Every insurance company I know of calls hair removal or restoration a cosmetic procedure.  So does the IRS.  Hair restoration after cancer treatments is probably an exception.  The critical thing is whether anyone can convince their doctor (M.D., not PhD) to certify that it is "medically necessary."

 

Carolyn Marie

[emeraldmountain]

Thank you Carolyn. There's academic literature out there regarding the benefits of hair removal for transfeminine patients and there are insurance companies that cover it, so the "cosmetic" barrier some insurance companies put up is, in my opinion, incorrect. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this cosmetic exclusion something insurances often did for much of the medical/surgical needs of our community back in the day?