The ‘boob job’ thousands of women are using Medicare for

It’s the boob job that makes life easier, according to a host of Hollywood a-listers that have gone under the knife for a breast reduction.

And they are not alone, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing that in 2016-17 over 4000 women aged between 15 and 54 had the procedure – making it one of the most common cosmetic surgeries.

But did you know that Medicare could cover some of the costs?

Sydney plastic surgeon Dr Jeremy Hunt, member of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgery, says women may undergo breast reduction surgery for many different reasons.

“Everything from serious medical conditions that require the surgery for the patient to lead a happy, healthy and active life, reducing back and neck pain due to the additional weight carried to more aesthetic reasons,” Dr Hunt tells Be.

But it’s the medical consequences of larger breasts - known clinically as macromastia – that are the reason breast reduction is listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule under item number 45520.

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In that sense it can be considered a necessary medical procedure, and not simply a cosmetic one.

“If a women feels she may need this type of surgery, the first thing she should do is consult her GP, who will do an initial assessment and refer her to the right surgeon to determine if there is a medical necessity for the surgery,” Dr Hunt tells us.

“Depending on the reason for the surgery, in come cases the surgery may be covered by Medicare, however this can vary as different health area services have different policies to provide breast reduction to public patents at no cost.”

According to the ABS, in the last financial year claims were put through Medicare for the reduction of 10,473 individual female breasts.

However it’s important to remember that there is still likely to be a significant ‘gap’ that needs to be paid, influenced largely by the surgeon’s fees.

Data from private health insurer Bupa revealed that breast reduction carried among the highest routine gap fees: 28.7 per cent of the procedures had gaps of $5001-$10,000, The Australian reported last year.

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