In today’s dynamic health care setting, not a few patients are disillusioned with the financial matters related to medical care, and also relating to surgical intervention. It’s even worse when it’s for erectile dysfunction, but they won’t cover it with insurance.
While some guys are surprised by the price of ED remedies, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who knows what the average cost of a penis implant even was. Questions of “how to pay” for the surgery can be problematic for men told by their doctors that the best treatment for erectile dysfunction is penile prosthetic surgery.
Good news again — unlike pills and injections, the insertion of a penile implant is covered by Medicare. The bottom line is that how much does penis surgery cost is a very popular question and concern. And the answer is that there are ways to finance the price of penile implant surgery.
Since Medicare determines the strict criteria for coverage, private insurers take a cue from the government and cover other treatments, including penile implants.
Insurance Coverage for Erectile Dysfunction Treatments
Medicare doesn’t pay for erectile dysfunction drugs and injections. Is a penile implant covered by Medicare? Yes.
Patients with Medicare coverage pay about $400-500 per month out of pocket for oral and injected medications. The prices of alternative treatments for ED will vary depending on how often you need to take them and the dose that you need. Under such therapies, every time you have sexual activity, sex medication has to be re-dosed, but the penile implant is a one-time process, and for all, Medicare won’t be charging recipients any additional fees.
As Medicare dictates coverage for health care services in the U.S., a minority of private insurers will also cover insurance plans for penile implants. But policies at many insurers do not cover penile implants, or they ask for co-pays that make it practically impossible for their subscribers to obtain the most effective treatment for erectile dysfunction.
Ask the penile implant company if they have a co-pay assistance program or some other financial benefit.
Paying for Penile Implant Surgery
For men who are not insured for penile prosthesis implants or are not at an age where their ED pumps are a covered benefit by Medicare, there are some options to consider :
Some penile prosthetic surgeons use “package pricing.” It is an affordable way to undergo penile implant surgery by submitting the surgery bill, facility fee, and any penile implant directly to the patient. The “package price” is deeply discounted. The cost of the penile implant with package prices usually ranges from $16,000 to $19,000 and covers the entire cost related to the operation. Penile implant cost will vary somewhat, but fixed-priced treatment is very appealing for men who do not qualify for Medicare or are unable to switch their private fund for another reason.
Some penile implant makers provide assistance in dealing with insurance coverage with providers. Ask if your device manufacturer has a co-pay assistance program or another financial assistance program that can be provided as a loan to eligible patients.
These programs could provide an opportunity for men to have access to care in situations where the out-of-pocket costs of penile implant surgery are effectively preventing them from taking action. However, the cost of the penile implant can be high, and there may be some financial assistance options for those men who would like this type of surgery to restore their erections.
Explore Medicare when eligible or find out if there are other plans that would provide broader erectile restoration coverage. When you’re considering plan options, you can do some research to see if the insurance will cover penile implants.