I have Medicaid and Medicare im concerned about how I will be able to get rid of any loose skin without paying out of pocket for surgery anybody know if insurance covers it? Does everyone need it? Help!

As far as I know, insurance companies only cover plastic surgery that they deem medically necessary. If you seek treatment for skin problems and your PCP documents the problems caused by the excess skin, then insurance might cover a panniculectomy. I don't think they will cover a full abdominoplasty, though. Good luck.

thanx hun

Not that I would ever do this.. But I know people who have aggravated rashes and made sure to get it documented and insurance covered plastic. Not worth it to me lol!

Not everyone needs it. A lot depends on your age, your beginning weight, whether or not you exercise, and many other factors. So, take it one step at a time! First, focus on losing the weight and changing your lifestyle. Why worry about something that may or may not happen?

I was told that if you exercise, you have a better chance of not needing to have skin removed. It's not a guarantee by any means, just helps. So, as soon as you are allowed, start a walking program. Go to the gym, too. Join a class, go swimming, go for a bicycle ride, play tennis, any and all of the above. I personally thing that you should always have a good walking program in addition to anything else you do.

Best of luck and take it one step at a time.

Merry Christmas!

thanx everyone I already have a gym membership and I love to work out hopefully that's good enough!

I do think it has a lot to do with age and where you held your weight and if you had children. I unfortunately was blessed with my grandmothers large (fat) upper arms. I have always been very self conscious about them. In the heat of summer you would see me in sleeves that went past my elbows.

I am losing weight rapidly and I excercise a lot, in fact I have been told to back off a little because I could not take in enough calories to offset the exercise. Anyway, I will definitely be looking at plastics when I finally reach my goal. I am also 51 years old and my skin will not bounce back as well.

I am expecting to have to pay out of pocket.

Some hospitals, one is saint Louis will actually do it for free and give the skin to burn victims. I had a friend who drove out there and did that. I'm not sure how you find out which hospitals do this.

So don't anyone freak out on this but I have several friends who have had some type of bypass surgery here in the states but then went to Mexico and paid out of pocket to have the excess skins removed. When I was in Mexico City ten years ago having the lap band put on, I made some very good friends with a couple who had both had bypass surgery in the States and were in Mexico to have a combined total of 73lbs of skin removed between the two of them. If you decide to go this route make sure to do your due diligence first. You don't want some random "doctor" with a scalpel hacking pieces of you off.

Good luck!

I'll see if I can find the name of the surgeon I used and share it here. He was wonderful, great personality, and the hospital and his office were both clean and everyone was very friendly. I had no complications and even picked back up some of my high school Spanish that I had forgotten.

I'm 51 as well. It's early for me but I think my main problem will be my thighs. I think my arms might've okay and maybe my belly. However I never covered my fat arms. If it was hot, I was sleeveless. I even went strapless on a few occasions. Right now I'm working out regularly and wearing compression yoga pants & body shapers to hold things in.

Hi I work out 7 days a week for 2 hours and still could not get rid of the extra skin on my tummy, I am now 3 week post opt from tummy tuck with muscle repair and it has been the best decision I have made, do to being in excellent shape prior to my tummy tuck I was walking upright the very next day which takes some people week to do , do to my Protein increase of 120 per day prior to surgery my healing has been great. I encourage everyone to exercise but if you still have extra skin do not be afraid to have it removed. Good luck everyone.