Author: Kelsey Woodbridge

By Kelsey Woodbridge

Dealing with insurance is similar to having to go to the DMV to renew a license; it’s borderline traumatizing. You may not have to take a photo looking like your next mugshot, but you will be transferred an excess amount of times before receiving any kind of answer to your questions. And then, you’re not even sure if you have all the information.

Companies and plans differ but in the end, your insurance is there to cover your payments when unexpected medical payments arise. Insurance is security – an asset when you are faced with unplanned charges.

 

How does this apply to areola nipple tattooing?

 

We often get asked, “Is this covered by insurance?” The short answer is: it’s complicated. The shorter answer is: no. We are not in network with any insurance providers, so patients must pay out of pocket for their procedure.

The silver lining: procedures can be filed for reimbursement.

While insurance companies cannot directly pay for the services patients receive the day of their visit, patients are given the information to submit a letter of reimbursement to insurance to get the money back.

Why aren’t medical tattooing services recognized and directly covered under insurance?

 

Good question, we’re still fighting that one. Medical tattooing is seen as a “cosmetic procedure” that is not necessary. Meanwhile after a mastectomy, if you get nipple reconstruction, it’s covered by insurance. Our company offers 3D nipple tattooing, an alternative to nipple reconstruction that would save insurance companies’ thousands of dollars, but it is not covered.

While some say reconstructing a breast is necessary, a tattoo to add color back to an areola is currently not seen as necessary. Insurance companies don’t have to cover this, and many don’t. If the goal is to provide coverage for procedures that recreate the allusion of a body part that has been taken out, it seems like only half the job is being covered. That’s not good enough.

 

Men and women that have gone through a difficult illness like cancer and the trauma of losing part of their body, should not have to financially worry about procedures that are provided to help them recreate what they lost. But the legality of the language and the judgements behind tattoos, are causing a hole in the system.

 

We’ll let you be the judge – is reimbursement a good start?

By Kelsey Woodbridge

Medical tattooing is the process of tattooing to reconstruct, or present the appearance of something on one’s body due to a medical condition or surgery. A popular example of this would be tattooing an areola 3D nipple on a breast cancer survivor, in order to replicate the appearance of a nipple after breast reconstruction. This can also help reconstruct other body parts like belly buttons, fingernails, or even help with webbed toes.  Medical tattooing can also include camouflaging scars that are lighter than the surrounding skin due to surgeries, accidents, or other causes.

 

While the demand for medical tattooing is increasing, there is also a strong need for experienced instructors in hospitals. The common misconception with medical tattooing is that it is completely a “medical” procedure, meaning anyone with a medical background can perform this procedure on a patient. However, many of our patients come to us to have their nipple tattoos redone because they aren’t happy with the results done by a medical professional. Doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants are not qualified to perform medical tattooing unless they have had comprehensive training. Advancements in training for 3D nipple tattooing were not available like they are now. Now is the time to get trained in this growing industry!

 

How it works:

How does medical tattoo training work?

1. We will come to you. Just as patients are more comfortable having a procedure in an office they know, so is your staff. We understand that hospital staff are extremely busy, and may not have time to travel to obtain the necessary skills for this practice.
2. We will completely customize the training to your hospital staff. In most cases, medical staff is already aware of the medical side of our training. Meaning, will not spend time lecturing on breast cancer history or the different types of reconstruction if this is already knowledge they have.
3. You train alongside your peers. We will build a class for your employees, and cater to their abilities. When learning a new technique, it’s important to bounce off ideas and questions with others in your group.

 

Why bring a trainer to your hospital?

The reality is that many unqualified medical professionals are medical tattooing in order to keep patients in-house. However, when clients come to us unhappy with their nipple tattoos, it’s clear professional medical tattoo training is needed. When hospitals train their staff on medical tattooing, they are investing in their employee’s skills and their patient’s procedures. This will provide patients will quality nipple tattoos, and keep your patients in-house. This will lead to satisfied patients that will then bring more patient referrals to you practice.

We’ve been invited to train at some of the most top-notch hospitals in the nation. Check out a list of these hospitals here.

 

What you will learn

 

Trainings are comprehensive and packed with information across the 3 days. Hospital staff will be under the instruction of Sauler technicians, learning about how to create the illusion of an areola 3D nipple tattoo. If interested, hospitals can be trained in scar camouflage as well.

 

Learn more about what our training courses offer here at our location.