Aetna Wrongly Denies Liposuction Coverage as Cosmetic: Lawsuit

Aetna Life Insurance Co. is accused of failing to cover liposuction treatments for people with a chronic condition based on the mistaken decision to treat it as a “cosmetic” procedure.

The proposed class action, filed May 9, challenges Aetna’s alleged policy of regularly denying coverage for tumescent liposuction, which is used to treat lipedema. The insurer wrongly treats this surgery as cosmetic, when it’s a medically necessary treatment for a progressive, debilitating disease, the lawsuit claims.

Lipedema, which primarily affects women, is a chronic buildup of fat tissue that causes pain, mobility problems, and joint disorders. Unlike lifestyle- or diet-induced ...