Plastic surgery can be expensive! So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that most people use credit to pay for all or a portion of their plastic surgery. However, suppose you don’t have the best credit history. In that case, you may be wondering how to pay for plastic surgery with bad credit.
You will be happy to hear that there are bad credit options to finance popular plastic surgery procedures. Options like bad credit loans, insurance, medical financing, and payment plans with your plastic surgeon’s office may be available.
Below, you will find more information on these different ways to go about plastic surgery with less than perfect credit.
Will Medical Insurance Cover My Plastic Surgery Procedure?
Most people pay for medical care today with help from insurance. If you have health insurance and need to pay for a procedure, your insurance may pay for a portion or the entirety of it.
In most scenarios, health insurance will not provide any funds for cosmetic procedures.
On the other hand, health insurance covers medically necessary surgery to some extent. A medical professional will determine the medical necessity of surgery and bill insurance accordingly. From here, you will get a breakdown of insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs (if anything). A few standard procedures typically covered by insurance are:
- A nose job (rhinoplasty) for sinus issues and breathing problems.
- Weight loss surgery when weight is harmful to one’s health.
- Eyelid surgery when it impacts sight
- Breast reduction surgery to reduce back pain
And so, if medical professionals can verify an underlying medical issue, health insurance may cover costs. Therefore, if you have health coverage, let your health care provider know, as it could save you money.
In some scenarios, a second party’s insurance will pay for medically relevant plastic surgery. For example, if you get hurt at work, workmen’s compensation will be responsible for payment. Or let’s say that you need a surgical procedure because of a car accident caused by another person. Their car insurance will finance medical plastic surgery.
When figuring out health insurance, also check out your HSA (Health Savings Account). An HSA is a savings account for various medical expenses, including cosmetic or medical plastic surgery.
Many people may automatically have a portion of their paycheck sent to an HSA. Still, they may have forgotten about it due to a change in employment. The good news is that any collected funds in an HSA usually rollover for use! And so, if you know you had an HSA account, be sure to check its balance. It could mean money towards plastic surgery costs!
How To Pay For Plastic Surgery With Bad Credit—Potential Options With Your Plastic Surgeon’s Office
Your plastic surgeon’s office may provide patients with plastic surgery financing. With plastic surgery financing, you pay monthly payments over time instead of paying for the surgery before the procedure.
Keep in mind that not all surgeons or medical institutions offer in-house financing. Instead, they may use a third party to collect payments. The most commonly used third-party medical funding is Care Credit. Care Credit is essentially a medical credit card. You will have to apply for it just like you would with a credit card. If you have bad credit, you may need a co-signer to the application for approval.
Finance Plastic Surgery With a Bad Credit Loan
Bad credit loans are another option to consider when you need to pay for plastic surgery. Make sure to look at the interest rates, loan terms, and payment period. Also, consider whether taking out a loan will cover the costs you need without causing unmanageable debt. Below are some quick cash loan options to look into if you have bad credit:
- Medical Loans—A medical loan is essentially an unsecured personal loan used for medical expenses and elective cosmetic procedures. Unlike most medical credit cards or regular credit cards, medical loans are available for a wide variety of credit histories. Loan amounts range from a few hundred to hundreds of thousand dollars (dependent on income and ability to repay the loan).
- Secured Personal Loans—Unlike an unsecured personal loan, secured personal loans involve an asset as collateral. Instead of focusing on your credit history for approval, they will look at your ability to repay a loan and your income.
- Installment Loans—Personal installment loans work similarly to a personal loan, except they come with fixed repayment terms. These can occur weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
- Title Loans—Title loans are a form of secured lending which uses the borrower’s vehicle as collateral. Although credit score or credit history is not an essential factor for eligibility, the interest rates for these loans can be high. Additionally, the funds may not be enough to cover all the costs.
- A Home Equity Loan—A home equity loan is a secured type of loan that helps homeowners borrow from their home’s equity. This option for funding could
Most of these loans are online, while others can be available at banks, credit unions, or other financial institutions.
Also, before taking out a bad credit loan, consider improving your poor credit score. A good credit score can help you get credit approval with more lenders, increased loan amounts, better interest rates, and loan terms.
Assistance With Plastic Surgery
Whether you need medically incurred plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery, assistance programs from the government and non-profit organizations may help.
The federal government offers low-cost health insurance. Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. If you are having trouble paying for health insurance, this low insurance option for you. Federally funded health insurance can offer similar benefits that come with private insurance coverage.
Non-profit organizations for specific procedures and causes may be able to help you pay for plastic surgery. Here are a few examples:
- myFace
- SmileTrain
- Medical Missions
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Mission Plasticos
- FACE TO FACE
- Face Forward International
- My Hope Chest
- Operation Smile
These non-profits can help with all kinds of plastic surgery procedures. For example, My Hope Chest helps with breast augmentation after breast cancer. Free to Smile Foundation takes care of plastic surgery for children born with congenital disabilities.
Come Up With a Long-term Saving Playing as When Getting Plastic Surgery With Bad Credit History
Another option to consider paying for plastic surgery is through a long-term savings plan. Savings can be a great way to pay for surgery without incurring interest costs. Saving a portion of your income will be an excellent way to start saving. For those new to saving for financial goals, some techniques can help you save money, so you don’t have to borrow money.
One option to consider is to budget. Budgeting involves tracking your income and expenses and then adjusting your expenses to fit your financial goals. Getting a side job is another excellent option to earn extra income to pay for your plastic surgery. On top of your full-time work, you may want to pursue a freelance career, or a side job based on your skills and resources.
For some people investing their funds is another way to build their savings. High yield savings bank accounts are one type of investment that doesn’t have huge risk. Another way to add to your plastic surgery fund is to sell some of your stuff. Using the cash from these sales can be a great way to start saving for plastic surgery.
If you have existing debt, consider paying it off. Which debts to pay first will depend on the kinds of debt you have. Paying off credit can help open up your credit for use. Or it can improve your credit score for other financing options or plastic surgery loans.
Ways to Save with the Actual Surgery When Looking to Get Plastic Surgery
Regardless of how you plan to pay for plastic surgery, there are ways that you can save. Here are a few things you can do to save when finding a plastic surgeon:
- Consider Low-Cost Clinics — low-cost clinics exist across the United States, and there may be some in your area.
- Look Around with Several Offices — when it comes to plastic surgery, one surgeon’s financing options and average cost will vary from one lender to another. Plastic or cosmetic surgery can vary in price based on location, the type of plastic surgery, and the number of medical professionals needed.
- Get a Break Down of Medical Expenses (A Quote) —sometimes, there are mistakes made with medical billing. And so, with any medical bill, make sure to ask for a breakdown or any medical codes/charges that may show up on a statement.
- Be Smart of Using Insurance— it will be beneficial to talk to your insurance company to review what places accept your insurance and where they don’t. From here, head to areas of practice that accept your insurance options.
Getting funding for plastic surgery is possible even with bad credit. Loan options for a bad credit score, insurance, and a savings plan could be the solutions you need to pay for your plastic surgery. Whether aesthetic plastic surgery or medically necessary procedures.
References:
https://plasticosfoundation.org/news/
https://greatnonprofits.org/categories/view/surgical-specialties
