In order to publish relevant news and information to this bariatric surgery website, I am frequently perusing news websites such as Google, Yahoo, PRWeb and others. In all the stories I encounter about bariatric weight-loss surgery, one topic comes up more than most — insurance coverage for weight loss surgery.
We have covered this topic some in the past, as with this story on bariatric surgery insurance. We have also mentioned the insurance factor in various articles about the cost of weight loss surgery.
The reason why the topic of weight loss surgery insurance comes up so often is three-fold, really:
- First, and most obviously, bariatric weight-loss surgery can be expensive, sometimes costing upwards of $30,000 depending on the type of bariatric surgery. Few people can foot such a bill on their own, thus they pursue insurance coverage for bariatric surgery.
- Secondly, there has been a huge increase in the amount of bariatric weight-loss surgeries over the years. We are talking a nearly tenfold increase in such surgeries, just over the last decade. And obviously the more surgeries you have, the more requests for weight loss surgery insurance coverage you get. This steady increase for bariatric surgery insurance coverage has sent the insurance companies scrambling to come up with official policy on the matter.
- Lastly, you also hear a lot about insurance coverage for weight loss surgery because of all the movements for insurance reform in this area. Many groups — both governmental and private — have been pushing for increased coverage for people undergoing bariatric surgery. See story below for a recent example.
Some recent news on the subject of bariatric surgery insurance coverage:
Obesity Action Coalition Calls on Insurers and Employers to Increase Access to Obesity Management Services
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In light of recent
studies in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) demonstrating a
powerful connection between obesity interventions and reduced deaths, the
Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) calls on insurers and employers to increase
access to the treatments of obesity and morbid obesity.
Read the full story
As always, we will continue to cover the topic of insurance coverage for weight loss surgery and will post updates and breaking news as it occurs.
Does Medicare Cover Lap Band Surjury??
Hi Joseph.
Here’s an excerpt from a news release by U.S. Health and Human Services, dated February 2006:
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the evidence is adequate to conclude that open and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), and open and laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS), are reasonable and necessary for Medicare beneficiaries who have a body-mass index (BMI) > 35, have at least one co-morbidity related to obesity, and have been previously unsuccessful with medical treatment for obesity.”
Source:
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewdecisionmemo.asp?id=160