All three are cosmetic by default — insurers pay only when you can document functional impairment: heavy-breast symptoms, vision blocked by drooping eyelids, or a blocked airway. The exact bar differs by insurer. Check your situation against your plan's real criteria below.
The same operation is "cosmetic" (excluded) or "reconstructive" (covered) depending on documented function. What flips each one:
Almost always a missing measurement. Breast reduction without a documented symptom set or with grams below the Schnur line; blepharoplasty without an automated visual-field test; septoplasty without the medication trial or a CT/endoscopy showing the deviation. The tool above tells you exactly which measurement is missing for your insurer.
Answer a few plain questions and see exactly what to document to move it from "cosmetic" to "covered" — about two minutes, free.
Check my coverageIt depends on your body size. Insurers use a "Schnur scale" that sets a minimum grams-per-breast based on your body-surface area (from your height and weight) — roughly 200–500 g at smaller sizes up to 1,000+ g at larger ones. Removing more than about 1,000 g per breast usually qualifies regardless. Below-threshold cases can still be covered when the physical symptoms are very well documented, but expect more pushback.
A measured superior (upper) visual-field loss on an automated test — Aetna accepts about 12 degrees, while Cigna, Anthem, and UnitedHealthcare generally want 20 degrees, and Medicare around 15. The lid usually also has to rest at or below the pupil, with photographs and a taping/lift test supporting it.
Only the breathing-correction part is covered, and only with documented obstruction from a deviated septum plus a medical-management trial. Reshaping done for appearance is cosmetic and excluded — your surgeon separates and bills the functional portion.
Related: Is breast reduction covered? · Abdominal & postpartum · all coverage tools