S-28-037

Topic:

Cosmetic Surgery vs. Reconstructive Surgery

Section:

Surgery

Effective Date:

January 1, 2021

Issued Date:

Last Revision Date:

November 2020

Annual Review:

December 2020

Cosmetic surgery is performed to reshape normal structures of the body in order to improve the individual's appearance.

Reconstructive surgery is performed to improve or restore functional impairment or to alleviate pain and physical discomfort resulting from a condition, disease, illness, or congenital birth defect.

Policy Position

Abdominoplasty, Panniculectomy (Tummy Tuck) may be considered medically necessary when ALL of the following criteria are met:

• Preoperative photographs document that the panniculus or fold hangs at or below the level of the symphysis pubis; and
• Preoperative photographs must document the individual’s name; and
• The medical records document that the panniculus or fold causes chronic intertrigo (dermatitis occurring on opposed surfaces of the skin, skin irritation, infection or chafing) that consistently recurs or remains refractory to appropriate medical therapy (including appropriate prescription medications) over a period of three (3) months.

NOTE: The individual must be 18 months postoperative following bariatric surgery.

Abdominoplasty and/or panniculectomy are considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for all other indications.

Blepharoplasty, Brow lift, AND Blepharoptosis may be considered medically necessary for ANY of the following conditions:

• The upper eyelid margin within 2.0 mm (1/4 of the diameter of the visible iris) of the corneal light reflex (margin to reflex distance (MRD) (distance from the upper lid margin to the reflected corneal light reflex at normal gaze) less than 2.0 mm), with individual in primary gaze; or
• The upper eyelid skin rests on the eyelashes; or
• The upper eyelid indicates the presence of dermatitis; or
• The upper eyelid position contributes to difficulty tolerating a prosthesis in an ophthalmic socket; or
• The brow position is below the superior orbital rim; or
• Entropian (eyelashes turning under);

AND

When ALL of the following criteria are met:

• The impairment is required to be documented by preoperative photographs that must be available upon request. Photographs must include the individual’s name. Photographs must include one view of the individual in primary position, one view looking up and one looking down and demonstrate the following:
  • Photographs of the individual looking straight ahead must demonstrate:
    • The eyelid at or below the upper edge of the pupil; or
    • The MRD of 2.0 mm or less with the eyes in a straight gaze; or
    • Redundant eyelid tissue overhanging the upper eyelid margin and/or resting on the eyelashes; or
    • Photographs show the eyebrow below the supra-orbital rim; or
  • If both a blepharoplasty and ptosis repair are requested, two sets of photographs may be necessary to demonstrate the need for both procedures:
    • Photographs should show the excess skin above the eye resting on the eyelashes; and
    • Photographs should show persistence of lid lag, with the upper eyelid crossing or slightly above the pupil margin, despite lifting the excess skin above the eye off of the eyelids with tape.
  • If blepharoplasty, blepharoptosis repair, and brow ptosis repair are requested together, three sets of photographs may be necessary; and
• An automated visual field study was done except for upper eyelid dermatitis, ocular prosthesis problem, and entropian and results interpreted by the provider for the following functional deficits:
  • Visual impairment due to dermatochalasis when the upper eyelid margin is within 2.0 mm (1/4 of the diameter of the visible iris) of the corneal light reflex (MRD less than or equal to 2.0 mm), with individual in primary gaze; or
  • The brow position is below the superior orbital rim; and
• A statement is submitted from the provider regarding the visual field study with documentation of taped and untaped automated visual field testing confirming that the visual deficit shown by the study is caused by the eyelid's condition and that the proposed surgery is being performed in an attempt to correct the visual deficit.

Blepharoplasty, Lower Lid may be considered medically necessary for reconstructive repair where there is functional visual impairment due to any ONE of the following conditions:

• Ectropion, entropion, or epiblepharon repair for corneal and/ or conjunctival injury; or
• Disease due to ectropion, entropion, trichiasis, or epiblepharon; or
• Poor eyelid tone (with or without entropion) that causes lid retraction and/or exposure; or
• Keratoconjunctivitis often resulting in epiphora; or
• Lower eyelid edema due to a metabolic or inflammatory disorder when the edema is causing a persistent visual impairment (e.g., secondary to systemic corticosteroid therapy, myxedema, Grave's disease, nephrotic syndrome) and is unresponsive to conservative medical management;

AND

• The impairment is required to be documented by preoperative photographs that must be available upon request. Photographs must include one view looking up and one looking down and demonstrate the functional deficit; and
• Functional impairment including BOTH of the following:
  • Documented uncontrolled tearing or irritation; and
  • Conservative treatments tried and failed.

NOTE: When the physician has determined that the individual requires a bilateral blepharoplasty, bilateral blepharoptosis repair or a bilateral brow ptosis repair, it is expected that the procedures will be performed on the same date of service. Bilateral procedures performed on different dates of service require the submission of medical record documentation to support the medical necessity of performing these procedures on different dates of service.

Blepharoplasty, brow lift, and blepharoptosis are considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered when the above medical necessity is not met.

Canthopexy may be considered medically necessary when performed for any ONE of the following conditions:

• Presence of corneal or conjunctival staining; or
• Mucous membrane changes; or
• Documentation of epiphora and poor closure of the lids; or
• Entropion; or
• Ectropion; or
• Bell's palsy; or
• Dermatochalasis.

Canthopexy is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered when the above medical necessity is not met.

Cryotherapy (e.g. Cryosurgery) may be considered medically necessary when performed for diagnoses other than active acne.

Cryotherapy performed for the treatment of active acne is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered.

Dermabrasion may be considered medically necessary when correcting defects resulting from an accident or when functional impairment exists.

Dermabrasion is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Earlobe Surgery may be considered medically necessary when repairing an earlobe defect if the defect is a through and through laceration resulting in a bilobe earlobe.

Repair of a defect that does not result in a bilobe earlobe (e.g., a large hole resulting from wearing heavy jewelry) is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered.

Facial Surgery, Corrective will be considered cosmetic rather than reconstructive when there is not any functional impairment present.

An indication or a diagnosis of pain may qualify as functional impairment.

Psychiatric indications do not warrant payment for cosmetic surgery when no functional impairment is present. However, severe psychological impairment, appropriately documented, can be classified as significant functional impairment on an individual consideration basis.

In cases involving psychiatric disorder or involutional changes due to aging, the claim should be accompanied by a report from a psychiatrist who indicates a definite psychiatric condition relevant to the condition to be corrected by the surgery and that the proposed correction is likely to be of significant help in treating the psychiatric problem. These services require medical review prior to payment.

Hair Removal (Permanent) by any method (e.g., by electrolysis) may be considered medically necessary when BOTH of the following criteria are met:

• When performed to prevent the recurrence of pilonidal cysts; and
• When ingrown hairs are responsible for repeated painful cysts, targeted hair removal is appropriate.

NOTE: Electrolysis and laser hair removal performed for hirsutism is classified as cosmetic and, therefore, not covered.

Hair removal is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication

Hair Transplant may be considered medically necessary when performed as a result of injury or burn.

Hair transplant is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Mammoplasty, Augmentation may be considered medically necessary when ANY of the following criteria are met:

• When unilateral breast aplasia is present; or
• Following extirpative surgery for benign disease (e.g., subcutaneous mastectomy with either immediate or delayed [second stage] prosthesis); or
• When a reconstructive procedure is performed following previous radical surgery for malignant disease; or
• When breast hypoplasia (affected breast) is associated with Poland's syndrome.

Augmentation mammoplasty is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered when the above medical necessity is not met.

NOTE: Surgery on an unaffected breast in order to provide symmetry with a breast on which a mastectomy and reconstructive procedure have been performed may be considered medically necessary.

Charges for implantable breast prosthesis are eligible when the implant is provided in conjunction with a reconstructive augmentation mammoplasty. However, if the augmentation mammoplasty is classified as cosmetic, charges for the implant will be denied as cosmetic.

Mammoplasty, Reduction/Breast Reduction may be considered medically necessary when ALL of the following criteria are met:

• The individual has AT LEAST a one (1)-year history of significant signs and symptoms that interfere with normal activities, including AT LEAST two (2) of the following:
  • Back, neck or shoulder pain not related to other causes such as arthritis, poor posture, acute strains, etc.; or
  • Clinical, non-seasonal submammary intertrigo; or
  • Significant shoulder grooving or shoulder point tenderness; or
  • Breast hypertrophy; or
  • Paresthesias of hands/arms; and
• Conservative measures, such as those below, have been tried and have not resulted in significant improvement:
  For back, neck, or shoulder pain, AT LEAST three (3) months of conservative treatment including;
  • Appropriate support bra; and
  • Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (if not contraindicated); and
  • Exercises and heat or cold application; and
• For chronic submammary intertrigo (dermatitis occurring on opposed surfaces of the skin, skin irritation, infection or chafing), AT LEAST 3 months of conservative therapy including:
  • Appropriate hygiene; and
  • Appropriate medical treatment (including appropriate prescription medications); and
  • Utilization of an appropriate support bra; and
• Candidates for breast reduction must be greater than or equal to 18 years of age. Requests for an individual under 18 years old will be considered on an individual basis, due to the sensitive nature of performing procedure on the developing breast; and
• Average weight of tissue planned to be removed in each breast is above the 22nd percentile as referenced on the Schnur Sliding Scale based on the individual’s body surface area (BSA). Please see the table attachment at the end of the policy for the Schnur Table.

The appropriate amounts (in grams) of breast tissue must be anticipated for removal from AT LEAST one (1) breast, which is based on the individual's total BSA in meters squared.

Reduction mammoplasty performed solely to remove fat and/or skin, but not the minimum specimen weight of breast tissue outlined above, is considered not medically necessary.

If preferred, there are several websites with calculators to assist in calculating body surface area, an example is http://www.globalrph.com/bsa2.htm.

Reduction mammoplasty/breast reduction are considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered when the above medical necessity is not met.

Mastectomy For Gynecomastia
Mastectomy for gynecomastia is considered reconstructive when ALL of the following criteria are met:

• The individual meets the criteria for Grade II, III, or IV; and
• One of the following:
  • For boys 16, 17, and 18 years old, whose body mass index (BMI) is less than the 75th percentile for age; i.e., a BMI of 22.7 for age 16, a BMI of 23.4 for age 17, and a BMI of 24.1 for age 18; or
  • For men over age 18, and a BMI of less than or equal to 25; and
• When pathologic gynecomastia (e.g., hypogonadism, endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, neoplasms, and male breast cancer) and pharmacologic gynecomastia (i.e., gynecomastia induced by pharmacological agents, including but not limited to, cimetidine, digitalis, methadone, marijuana, clomiphene, chemotherapeutic agents, anti-retroviral agents, herbal remedies, chlorpromazine, and anabolic steroids) have been excluded.

If the above criteria are not met, services may be considered medically necessary when it is documented that the tissue is primarily breast tissue, by pathology report, and not just adipose (fatty) tissue.

NOTE: Gynecomastia in individuals less than 16 years of age generally will resolve on its own. Therefore, mastectomy for gynecomastia is not indicated for these individuals and is considered cosmetic.

Mastectomy for gynecomastia is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Nipples, Inverted, Correction may be considered medically necessary when performed in an attempt to restore the ability to breast feed.

Correction of inverted nipples is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Nipple Tattooing may be considered medically necessary when ANY of the following criteria are met:

• When performed as part of a reconstructive procedure following radical surgery (e.g., mastectomy for benign or malignant disease); or
• When performed following an injury (e.g., burn).

Nipple tattooing is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication

Otoplasty may be considered medically necessary when performed to improve hearing impairment, whether the ears are absent or deformed from trauma, surgery, disease, or congenital defect. Hearing impairment is defined as a loss of AT LEAST 15 decibels outside the normal hearing range in the affected ear(s) documented by audiogram. (Note: degree of hearing loss refers to the severity of the loss. Normal range or no hearing loss = 0dB to 20dB.)

Otoplasty is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Port Wine Stain Treatment may be considered medically necessary for port wine stains on the face and neck.

Treatment of port wine stains on the trunk or extremities is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered.

Rhinoplasty may be considered medically necessary when ANY of the following criteria are met:

• When post-traumatic (i.e., accident) nasal deformity exists; or
• When functional breathing impairment is present.

Rhinoplasty is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Rhytidectomy (Meloplasty, Face Lift) may be considered medically necessary when functional impairment exists as a result of a disease state (e.g., facial paralysis).

Rhytidectomy is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Rosacea Treatment any non-pharmacological treatment method, including but not limited to: laser and light therapy [e.g., intense pulsed light (IPL), dermabrasion, chemical peels, surgical debulking, and electrosurgery] may be considered medically necessary when functional impairment exists and pharmacologic therapy, specific for the treatment of rosacea, has failed or is contraindicated.

Rosacea treatment is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Scar Revision may be considered medically necessary when correcting scars and keloids resulting from an accident or when functional impairment exists.

Scar revision treatment is considered cosmetic and, therefore, non-covered for any other indication.

Other Procedures

The following procedures can be performed for either cosmetic or reconstructive purposes. If there are no procedure specific guidelines associated with a listed procedure below, the procedure may be classified as reconstructive only when there is documented functional impairment:

• Chemical exfoliation for acne
• Chemical peel
• Correction of diastasis recti abdominis
• Excision, excessive skin, thigh, leg, hip, buttock, arm, forearm, or hand, submental fat pad, other area.
• Mastopexy
• Microdermabrasion
• Procedures/products/services via any treatment modality (e.g., laser, cryotherapy) performed solely for the treatment of post-acne scarring
• Salabrasion
• Suction assisted lipectomy done solely for cosmetic purposes
• Temporary hair removal (e.g., waxing, laser)

Related Policies

Refer to Medical Policy G-20, Actinic Keratosis, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-36, Removal of Skin Lesions, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-45, Repair of Lacerations, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-55, Surgical Treatment of Varicose Veins, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-74, Covered Suction Assisted Lipectomy Services, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-129, Mastectomy and Reconstructive Surgery, for additional information.

Refer to Medical Policy S-184, Gender Reassignment Surgery, for additional information.

Place of Service: Inpatient/Outpatient

Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery is typically an outpatient procedure which is only eligible for coverage as an inpatient procedure in special circumstances, including, but not limited to, the presence of a co-morbid condition that would require monitoring in a more controlled environment such as the inpatient setting.

The policy position applies to all commercial lines of business

Links

• Link to Table Attachment(s)

• Link to References

This policy is designed to address medical guidelines that are appropriate for the majority of individuals with a particular disease, illness, or condition. Each person's unique clinical or other circumstances may warrant individual consideration, based on review of applicable medical records, as well as other regulatory, contractual and/or legal requirements.

Medical policies do not constitute medical advice, nor are they intended to govern the practice of medicine. They are intended to reflect Highmark's reimbursement and coverage guidelines. Coverage for services may vary for individual members, based on the terms of the benefit contract, and subject to the applicable laws of your state.

Highmark retains the right to review and update its medical policy guidelines at its sole discretion. These guidelines are the proprietary information of Highmark. Any sale, copying or dissemination of the medical policies is prohibited; however, limited copying of medical policies is permitted for individual use.

Discrimination is Against the Law
The Claims Administrator/Insurer complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. The Claims Administrator/Insurer does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. The Claims Administrator/ Insurer:

• Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as:
  • Qualified sign language interpreters
  • Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)

• Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as:
  • Qualified interpreters
  • Information written in other languages

If you need these services, contact the Civil Rights Coordinator.

If you believe that the Claims Administrator/Insurer has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with: Civil Rights Coordinator, P.O. Box 22492, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Phone: 1-866-286-8295, TTY: 711, Fax: 412-544-2475, email: CivilRightsCoordinator@highmarkhealth.org. You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, the Civil Rights Coordinator is available to help you.

You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD)

Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.

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