Breast augmentation, like other plastic surgeries, is a bit of a gray area where insurance providers are concerned. It’s also one of the more expensive cosmetic operations you can get in the US, where it runs $5000 or more. Not only do you have to pay for the operation itself, but there are also the implants. Does insurance cover breast augmentation or not? If not, then what can you do to reduce your costs?

The rule with insurance coverage and plastic surgery is generally based on reconstruction. Do you need breast augmentation for personal aesthetic reasons only, or because you had an injury or a sickness which cost you your shape? It there was an injury or sickness, or even a birth defect, you are probably covered. In that case, affording breast augmentation shouldn’t be too difficult since the insurance will foot all or part of the bill. If you didn’t have any kind of trauma or defect though, you are getting an elective operation, and you will need to pay the full cost on your own through one method or another.

Breast augmentation financing is usually done on credit or with loans from friends, family, or banks. Most people try to see if they can get lower prices first so that they don’t waste money. You can for instance opt for saline implants instead of silicone, since that can drop the costs, but not by much. A more effective way to get a lower price is to get breast augmentation in a foreign country where costs can be as much as 90% lower. Medical tourism is safe and affordable, and a great option for breast augmentation financing. Regardless of whether you travel, use other factors as well when you select your surgeon and hospital including accreditations, reviews, and specializations.