The economy has not hit the City of Houston quite as bad as it has hit some of the other major cities around the nation, however this is probably still a point in time where you have to watch your finances a little more closely than usual. The plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure that may have been easy to find the money for a few years ago will take a little more work today. This is why it is a good idea to know all of your available options when it comes to financing a procedure that is so costly. We are going to talk today about the five main methods that people can use for financing these plastic surgery procedures.
1. Unsecured Loan - This is probably the least attractive option. This loan provider does not care about your credit. Theinterest rate is through the roof. You have a short amount of time, usually between 24 to 60 months, to pay it back. Unfortunately, this is the most popular option because it is so easy to get.
2. Credit Loan - This is probably the best option in a perfect world. They do check your credit history and credit score though to ensure that you are qualified for this loan. CareCredit is one of the most popular companies to provide this type of loan. You can get you credit payments to as low as $50/month, however your credit score must be above 600 to get that sweet of a deal. If you have bad credit then you may need to look elsewhere.
3. In-House Financing - As the term indicates, this is credit supplied right through the place where you are getting the work done. Your plastic surgeon almost certainly has some options that you can take for financing through his office. This is the most convenient as it's all in one place, but it may not provide you with the most affordable financing option.
4. Place of Employment - A lot of people forget about this little secret. Most places of employment have options for you to create a flexible spending account. This allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars to cover medical costs. Check with your employer to see if this is an option that might be right for you. Make sure to verify that the money can be used for your specific procedure.
5. Credit Card - Most plastic surgeons in Houston these days will let you pay with a credit card. As if we don't already have enough items on our credit cards. This really is your last ditch option. Credit card rates are so sky high now that you would really be better off with any other option on the list. But, if all else fails, a credit card is an option usually.
So those are the financing options available to a plastic surgery patient, but there are some other key things to remember
- Insurance Companies likely will not pay for the procedure.
- Shop around for plastic surgery
- Do not choose solely on price though
- Make sure you have money for any plastic surgery post-op expenses