Gastric Bypass and Your Insurance

Gastric bypass, mini gastric bypass, and lap bands are becoming more and more popular. Unfortunately insurance companies have begun denying coverage for bariatric surgeries.

These surgeries costs $25,000 on average. Desperate patients willing to do almost anything to lose weight have started financing their surgeries. What remains to be answered is - Is it worth it?

Many insurance companies have decided not to cover gastric bypass surgery, mini gastric bypass or lap band procedures. They have based their decisions on previous year's complication data. They state that the surgery itself and the cost of covering side effects and complications cost them millions that they cannot afford. Bariatric surgery has improved dramatically in the past few years. It has become safer and more successful.

Lots of times, if your surgery is denied, your doctor or doctor's billing department can find ways around the denial. A simple letter from your doctor explaining what the risks to your health are can effectively get your surgery covered. Appeal letters to the insurance company with additional information included also can sometimes reverse the insurance provider's decision.

Doctors have been able to get around the insurance companies stipulations and denials until recently. The insurance companies have started putting in an exclusion clause that states they will not cover bariatric surgeries and unfortunately there is no loop hole to bypass that. They don't realize that the amount of money they will pay for health issues related to obesity will outweigh any costs of surgery and post-surgical care.

If you want to have the gastric bypass surgery and your insurance doesn't cover it, you may want to look into your spouses insurance plan or other insurance altogether. Before switching companies, be sure the other insurance doesn't have the exclusion to bariatric bypass surgery written into it also.

Uninsured patients have taken matters into their own hands. They have charged their surgeries on credit cards, refinanced their homes, and have even taken out loans to cover the cost so they can lose the excess weight and become healthier. They state it is well worth the cost to once again play with their children and be rid of health problems such as aches and pains, diabetes, or high blood pressure. They say their self esteem has improved and for the first time in years they feel good about themselves.

Gastric bypass surgery has improved the lives of thousands of people. Recently insurance companies have started denying coverage for those who choose gastric bypass as an intervention. Insurance companies are relying on old information to dictate what procedures they will cover. If this is the case with you, there are other ways to pay for gastric bypass or other bariatric procedures. Loans, refinancing a home or charging are just some ways bariatric surgery can be paid for.

More Articles About the Cost of Gastric Bypass Surgery:

• Determining the Full Cost of Weight Loss Surgery
• Gastric Bypass - Common Insurance Issues
• My Struggle With My Insurance Company- a Personal Story
• How One Patient Finally Got Her Gastric Bypass Claims Paid
• Are You Eligible for Insurance Coverage?