A slice of life: Number of patient claims for cosmetic surgery.
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons has warned that genuine plastic surgery claims of privately-insured patients could be rejected, as health insurers tighten their payout systems.
It said patients needing surgeries, such as eyelid lifts to restore vision and nose jobs to breathe easier, would have their claims refused under tighter claims systems introduced by two big insurers.
The surgeons are also concerned the new systems will push patients into cheaper plastic surgeries at non-accredited centres.
Medibank Private launched a pre-approval system last week designed to weed out patients who improperly declare their plastic surgeries are for medical reasons.