When does OHIP or Insurance cover Facial Plastic Surgery

Most procedures covered by the ministry of health in Ontario involve reconstructive facial plastic surgery after trauma or facial malignancy.

Cosmetic facial plastic surgery procedures such as facelift or forehead lift are not covered unless specialized circumstances exist.

One example of this would be a patient with facial paralysis resulting in deformation of the face. Occasionally traditional facial cosmetic procedures can be used to improve both function and appearance of severe deformities resulting from disease or trauma. In these cases individual requests from your doctor have to be made to the ministry of health and special permission is granted to perform certain procedures.

Other reconstructive procedures which may be covered include nose operations to correct any problems that interfere with breathing or eyelid surgery when the drooping is so severe as to impair vision.

Of course, your surgeon must apply to OHIP for permission to perform these procedures for individual cases.