I’m 34 with health insurance. I’m interested in a rhinoplasty mostly for cosmetic reasons, but I also have a deviated septum that I would like to have repaired. Is it possible for my insurance to cover a procedure in which both problems are corrected? Or would I have to get two separate surgeries and pay for the cosmetic one?

If you have a history of nasal obstruction and evidence of a deviated nasal septum, then you may benefit from functional surgery to improve your symptoms by correcting the deviated nasal septum. A septoplasty is surgery to correct a deviated septum and may be covered by your insurance, depending upon your health insurance plan. Cosmetic surgery to change the appearance of your nose (aka rhinoplasty) can be performed at the same time as septoplasty. The cosmetic portion of surgery is not covered by insurance; however, both the cosmetic and functional surgeries can be performed at the same time. You end up paying out of pocket for the cosmetic portion and your insurance company would cover the functional portions. Your out of pocket fees may be influenced by your deductible. For further information regarding this, I encourage you to consider a consultation with us; at that time, my office staff provides you with further detail regarding the breakdown, as this is influenced by factors such as your health insurance plan.