Financing Options for Aesthetic Laser Treatments

Cosmetic procedures have traditionally been associated with the rich and famous for a reason: many of these procedures aren't cheap and most are not covered by health insurance plans because they are considered elective procedures. Recent advances in cosmetic treatments have made many of these procedures more accessible to the common man or woman.

The Cosmetic Laser is being used in conjunction with or in place of more and more cosmetic surgical procedures, reducing the overall cost of a procedure. Cost is reduced in a number of ways: Time – Procedures don’t last as long so they don’t cost as much.

• Safety – Lasers have made cosmetic surgeries much safer, leading to decreased costs in everything from follow-up care to physician insurance rates.
• Recovery – Decreased recovery time means patients need less time away from work, less pain medication, and fewer post-operative treatments, all of which save a patient money.
• Lower billing – Because clinics don’t have to submit a lot of time and cost-consuming paperwork to insurance companies and wait for months to receive payment, treatments paid for in cash often save them money, and some clinics pass this savings on to their patients.

Low-level Laser Therapy is used to treat medical conditions and to perform cosmetic procedures. Health insurance plans are paying for an increasing number of medical laser treatments, but don’t pay for elective procedures involving a cosmetic laser, also called an aesthetic laser. One exception is when aesthetic lasers are used to help correct cosmetic damage caused by a medical condition, as in the case of reconstructive cosmetic surgery or breast reconstruction following a mastectomy.

Paying for Aesthetic Laser Treatments

Clinic Financing

While the cost of cosmetic laser treatments is down, they can still take a big bite out of your pocketbook. This is one reason that many cosmetic surgery clinics offer financing and payment plans to their patients. Many clinics provide low- or no-interest payment plans over the course of several months or years. Some require down payments while others offer a no-down-payment option.

Care Credit

Care credit is a health and beauty specific credit card that offers a no-interest promotional period when you first open your account, giving you the opportunity to pay off your elective treatment interest free. After the promotional period is over, balances generate a lower interest level than conventional credit card accounts. Accounts also come with a revolving line of credit to allow for additional medical and beauty-related bills to be added to your account as you pay the balance down, keeping your minimum monthly payments low.

Health Savings Plans

If you already have a health savings account built up, you may be able to use some or all of the balance toward paying for cosmetic or aesthetic treatments. There are several different types of health savings accounts available. Some don’t place restrictions on the types of procedures the money can be used for, while others have certain limitations. If your health savings account is a limited one, you may be able to switch your plan to help you save for future treatments.