Less than two months remain for patients to qualify for limited time warranties on silicone gel breast implants. Manufacturers introduced these warranties this year and they are the best we’ve ever seen.
Surgeries scheduled on or before December 31, 2009 can qualify for $3500 of warranty coverage, which can be used to cover expenses in the event of an implant rupture. There are different types of procedures that can be performed – breast augmentation, revision breast surgery, etc – but they must use a silicone gel implant to qualify. The standard lifetime replacement policy is included and the warranty doesn’t expire for ten years.
In the past, the standard breast implant warranties offered lifetime product replacement and a financial reimbursement of $1200, while premium warranties offered about $2400. Although these reimbursements have always been in place to offset the cost of revision surgery, for the patient they still carry a potential for out-of-pocket expense. 3500 dollars of warranty coverage is a substantial improvement.
Because this offer is likely to expire after 2009, it may be a great time to undergo breast augmentation and qualify. More than a few patients want some extra insurance against the financial risks of implant rupture, and this warranty looks like a way to get it.
