Does insurance cover a penile implant?
Yes, in most cases. Most insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid, cover penile implants for men with erectile dysfunction (ED) when pills, injections or other treatments haven’t worked or aren’t a good fit. Coverage details vary from plan to plan, so our team checks your benefits and gets any needed approval before we set a surgery date.Why does the time of year matter?
Most insurance plans run on a calendar year. Your deductible is what you pay before insurance starts sharing costs. Your out-of-pocket maximum is the most you’ll pay in a year for covered care. Both usually reset on January 1. If you’ve had other procedures, scans or hospital care this year, you may have met one or both already. In that case, an implant done in December can cost you far less than one done in February, when you’d be starting over at zero. Every plan is different, and some don’t reset in January. Call the number on your insurance card and ask two questions: “How much of my deductible have I met?” and “How close am I to my out-of-pocket maximum?”What has to happen before surgery?
This is why it pays to call now rather than in mid-December. Before an implant, you’ll have:- A consultation with me to confirm an implant is the right choice and pick the type that fits you.
- A teaching visit with our nurse practitioner, about 1–2 weeks before surgery, to go over preparation and recovery.
- A pre-admission testing visit with the anesthesia team, which usually includes bloodwork.
Who is a good candidate for a penile implant?
An implant may be right for you if:- Pills like Viagra or Cialis no longer work or cause side effects
- Injections didn’t work for you or you’d rather not use them
- You want a dependable, long-term solution
- You want to be spontaneous, without timing a pill or preparing an injection
What is surgery and recovery like?
The implant sits completely inside the body. When you squeeze a small pump placed in the scrotum, the implant fills and creates a firm erection. When you press a release valve, it goes back down. There’s also a bendable (malleable) type for men who want a simpler device. Surgery usually takes a couple of hours, and most men go home the same day. Many go back to desk work within a few days. Most men can have sex again about 4‚Äì6 weeks after surgery, once I’ve checked that they’re healed. Satisfaction rates for patients and their partners are among the highest of any ED treatment.Frequently asked questions
Will anyone be able to tell I have an implant? No. Everything is inside the body. In a locker room, there’s nothing to see. Will it change sensation or orgasm? An implant restores firmness. It doesn’t change sensation, desire or your ability to climax. Will it make my penis larger? No. An implant restores the length you have at the time of surgery. It doesn’t add length. How long does an implant last? Modern implants are durable, and many last well over a decade.Take the next step before the year ends
If you’ve met your deductible, or you’re close, now is the time to call. I’ll talk through your options, and our team will check your coverage and find the earliest available surgery date. Request an Appointment or call (216) 285-5036. We see patients in Cleveland, Beachwood, Lyndhurst and Hudson. Related: Penile Implants in ClevelandNannan Thirumavalavan, MD, is a board-certified urologist, fellowship-trained in male reproductive medicine and surgery in Cleveland, OH.