Question
I'm curious how you find out if insurance will cover a breast reduction for back pain. Is it something I can call my insurance and ask for? Or do I need my chiropractor or regular doctor to request it on my behalf??

Answer
I had mine done last Sept. I went to a plastic surgeon (make sure you research this and try to get the best). He examined me, asked lots of questions, etc. My back hurt all the time, I had the strap marks, etc. He told me that based on my size (36DDD) and symptoms,I was a prime candidate. He took pictures of my breasts and said that he would submit the info to my insurance and we could go from there.I heard back from my insurance a couple of weeks later and they approved it. You will want to call your insurance as well to see how much of it they will cover. Mine covered 50%. I had to pay my doctor up front ($980) and then I paid the remaining bills after the insurance paid. There were charges for the facility, the anest., and pathology. So I had to pay about another $1000 and some change after that.
You could probably call your insurance first to see if they cover and how much, and they can tell you that, but they won't approve it until they get the doctors request and info.
I'm so glad I did it. I feel so much better now. I'm still a little sore now and then, but over all, it's great.

Answer
Thanks for your reply! I had a baby six weeks ago, and I understand that I'll lose of the weight from my breasts, but I don't expect to lose anywhere near where I was before. I started out in a 34C and during the pregnancy I was a 40DD. I've already lost some as the DD bra is a little big but the C bra is still WAY too small. I know that doesn't seem that big to some people, but I'm 5'10" and was 125 pre-pregnancy and very small boned/small frame and it's literally pulling me forward and make my posture awful. My back is killing me and I also have the bra marks on my should no matter what type of bra I wear. Also, this is a little embarrassing, but during the pregnancy as my breasts kept growing at an alarming rate, my right one stopped at a certain point and the left one kept going. I know that different sizes are very normal, but the difference at this point is close to 2 cup sizes.

I just don't know what the doc or insurance company will say about it because like I said I'm 6 weeks post partum.

Anyway, thanks again for the reply... and listening to my rant!! Glad everything worked out well for you!

Answer
It probably will be more helpful if you see your regular physician and ask him to refer you to a plastic surgeon in regards to having a breast reduction. You can explain your situation to the plastic surgeon and then he can then take pictures of your breasts and send in a predetermination letter to your insurance company. You shouldn't be embarrassed about your breasts being different sizes. That will be helpful in persuading the insurance company that your reduction is medically necessary. You may have to wait a while to have it done, but I'm sure they will approve you. I'm 5'0, 140 lbs with 34DD breasts. I have back and neck pain and I went to physical therapy for 2 months. I was having tension headaches as a result of neck pain. I'm scheduled to have my surgery in 4 days. Just go and see what happens. They can either tell you yes or no.

Answer
You could go to you reg. doc. Some insurances require that you do. I didn't have to with my insurance, so I just went straight to the surgeon. You could call your insurance and see if they will even cover it. One of the questions my doc asked me after the surgery was if I felt like I could breathe better. I told him that I had noticed I was breathing better. He said that many of his patients hadn't realized before the surgery how much the large breasts inhibit their breathing. I don't miss all that weight pulling at my chest. It's so nice to lay on my stomach and not have to push my breasts out of the way. I'm coming up on 9 months (Wow, just seems like yesterday) post surgery and I'm sooo glad I did this. My scars still itch some, but it's getting better every day. I'm getting the sensation back where it used to be numb. I had a lot of numbness along the incisions for quiet a few months. My nipples aren't as tender as they were. They are still a bit tender, but before it was sore.
Anyway, good luck with getting this done. After years of being hindered by large breasts, I feel like a free person now.