If you plan to have a medical procedure to deal with your long toe soon, you might be curious about the potential price. Does insurance cover toe shortening surgery, or will you have to pay for it yourself? This is why it is highly recommended that you get professional advice before making any final decisions and paying for the surgery from your pocket.
Does Insurance Cover Toe Shortening Surgery?
First of all, there is one major thing you need to consider before having this procedure done. It is important that you know if you’re planning on undergoing toe shortening surgery because the pain in your foot is affecting your everyday activities, making it hard for you to walk, run or exercise. In this case, with a good insurance policy and a specialist who believes that you really need this surgery done, your expenses should be covered. This is the factor that will certainly affect the final price of the procedure – depending on it, insurance companies might cover your expenses or not.
In other scenarios, this abnormality may not affect your everyday life, but you might require cosmetic surgery just to make your feet look better. In this case, your insurance company probably won’t cover your expenses, and you’ll need to pay for everything yourself. This includes the surgery itself, anesthesia which is charged separately, recovery expenses, and medicines if needed.
Depending on where you do it and how long recovery takes, this procedure can cost you over $5,000 per foot, plus all the additional recovery expenses and physical therapy. The best thing to do to find out if insurance covers your expenses is to consult with your provider and a trustworthy specialist who will advise you on all the necessary steps.
What to Do if Your Insurance Doesn’t Cover a Toe Shortening Surgery?
As we already explained, there is a chance that your insurance company won’t cover the potential expenses for this surgery if you’re doing it only for aesthetic reasons. This doesn’t mean you can’t still decide to do it – it will only cost you more. Keep in mind that some clinics offer to do this procedure for about $1,500 to $3,000 per foot, but this doesn’t include all the additional costs such as hospitalization, anesthesia, recovery, physical therapy, supportive shoes, and so on. You need to consider all of these expenses before making any final decision.
If the final price still works for you, there is no reason to skip this procedure, even if insurance doesn’t cover your expenses. You can still try to talk to a specialist and explain that the pain caused by the long toe affects your activities. If the doctor agrees with your words, you might still get at least some parts of the expenses covered by your insurance company. If the final cost is too much for you, and you decide not to do it, there are still many alternatives you can count on that might help you out.
Is There an Alternative to This Procedure?
If you decide that surgery doesn’t work for you or isn’t covered by insurance, there are a few non-surgical treatments you can count on. While these methods will decrease negative symptoms such as pain, be aware that they won’t be able to fix the issue permanently. Some of them include:
- Wearing supportive shoes,
- Using arch support,
- Modification of everyday activities,
- Wearing spot stretch shoes
- Periodic callus care,
- Wearing shoes with a wide shoe box.
Apart from this, there are some other things you can count on, such as anti-inflammatory medicines and physical therapy, toe splints or pads, custom foot orthotics, and injections.
Go Over the Payment Method With Your Surgeon Before the Procedure
No matter what your personal preferences are and how big your budget is, the smartest thing you can do is consult with a trustworthy specialist. They would know what your options are and suggest the proper treatment. Sometimes, even if you believe surgery might be necessary, your problem can be solved with some non-operative procedure. In other cases, you might be skeptical about having this procedure done and dealing with everyday pain only because you believe the insurance company won’t cover your expenses.
In reality, you might be struggling for no reason, and your insurance is willing to cover all the toe-shortening surgery expenses. Other times, you will only need to pay for toe shortening surgery recovery, which can last for a couple of weeks. Whatever the case, it’s best that you consult about this with our excellent surgeons at Luxe Foot Surgery clinic. Feel free to contact us with all your questions, and we’ll ensure you get all the answers as soon as possible.
Is Toe Shortening Surgery Worth It?
Many people wonder if toe shortening surgery is really worth it if the insurance company doesn’t cover it. While the procedure might be a bit pricey for some, it usually relieves patients from the pain and helps them live a more active lifestyle, so it is definitely worth it.
Does Toe Shortening Reduce Shoe Size?
Toe shortening surgery, in some cases, can reduce shoe size. This happens because the surgeon removes the piece of your bone and realigns your toes in the proper position. This causes your long toe to get shorter, and with that, it probably won’t hit the point of your shoe anymore.
How Much Does a Toe Shortening Surgery Cost?
Toe shortening surgery costs depend on many factors. If it’s covered by insurance, you’ll only need to pay for recovery expenses, which might cost you about $300. If your insurance doesn’t cover surgery expenses, it might cost you about $3,000 per foot. Keep in mind that expenses will also include anesthesia and medicines, as well as some other additional costs.
