Are Any Laser Hair Removal Treatments Covered By Insurance?
A fairly common question people have when researching laser hair removal is “Will my insurance cover my laser hair removal treatments?”. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straightforward as most people would like it to be—which won’t surprise anyone who has had to jump through the hoops of filing an insurance claim in the past.
For an exact answer on whether your insurance will cover laser hair removal or not, you’ll want to read through your insurance policy—don’t skip the “fine print”—but below are some general guidelines for when most insurers will and won’t cover laser hair removal.
Some insurers will cover the cost of laser hair removal when the procedure is deemed medically necessary
When Might Laser Hair Removal Treatments Be Covered
If you’ve ever had to file a medical insurance claim, you’ll know that “medically necessary” isn’t as cut and dried as it sounds.
A medical diagnosis of a condition that causes unwanted hair growth, such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), and a physician’s recommendation for laser hair removal is a good start. However, these things don’t automatically mean that your treatments would meet the requirements of your insurance policy to be considered medically necessary.
While you’ll want to read the “fine print” of your insurance policy for the specific details of your situation—many insurers require proof that your unwanted hair causes undue emotional or physical distress by disrupting your daily life or inhibiting your ability to find employment or housing. The hard truth is that just because your unwanted hair is caused by a medical condition or medication and is a nuisance doesn’t mean that your insurance will cover it.
In fact, in most cases you’ll need to fight the good fight with the support of your physician and detailed documentation before your treatments will be covered or you are reimbursed. The most common laser hair removal treatments that are covered by insurance are associated with clients who are preparing for gender reassignment/confirmation surgery.
But to reiterate, gender reassignment/confirmation being the reason for your laser hair removal treatments does not automatically guarantee they will be covered. You’ll want to refer to your insurance policy to see if the procedure could be covered and what documentation would be needed to meet the medically necessary clause of your policy.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of when insurance will or will not cover your laser hair removal treatments, but hopefully, it gives you a better understanding of which category your treatments might fall into when it comes to your insurance coverage.
The best thing you can do if you have questions is to contact your insurance company and find out for sure—after all, it never hurts to ask. While most companies that offer laser hair removal services don’t submit claims to insurers on behalf of their clients, they should be able to supply you with any treatment or payment documentation that you may need to submit your claim to your insurance company.