Current verdict
Health insurance must pay for skin tightening
July 16, 2026 – 7:14 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Liposuction and skin tightening are usually considered cosmetic procedures. In certain cases, however, the health insurance company has to cover the costs.
According to a ruling from Hesse, under certain circumstances a health insurance company must also cover the costs of subsequent skin tightening after a medically necessary liposuction. The individual case is decisive, as is the Higher Regional Court Frankfurt am Main announced on Wednesday. The insurance has to pay 1400 euros. (Af.: 3 U 99/25)
An insured person had sued for reimbursement of the costs of liposuction and subsequent skin tightening. The health insurance company rejected this, citing cosmetic surgery. The woman spent a total of 9,800 euros. The health insurance company covered part of the liposuction amounting to 1,400 euros. The matter in court was now about payment of the remaining amount.
Health insurance has to pay 1,400 euros
In the first instance, the regional court had Frankfurt the woman was awarded a further 440 euros. The Higher Regional Court now changed this decision and awarded the woman a further 1,400 euros in addition to the 1,400 euros she had already paid. The judges decided that insurance must reimburse the costs of medically necessary treatments.
The plaintiff suffered from one Lipedema. For this reason, liposuction was medically necessary. According to the verdict, the subsequent skin tightening was also necessary. An expert conclusively confirmed the need for the Senate in this case.
It was taken into account that the woman is dependent on a walker or wheelchair. This movement forces her to keep her arms close to her body, which can easily irritate the wrinkles on her elbows and armpits. However, according to the ruling, some of the billed items cannot be reimbursed because they do not correspond to the operation report.
