Most insurance companies in the United States pay for bariatric surgery ( weight loss or obesity ) . But the approval process is long and not everyone qualifies for the same. The patient needs to establish medical necessity. Here are points to consider:
or body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater and morbid obesity. BMI is a number calculated from weight and height of an individual number and is used as an indicator of body fat to classify obesity.
Demonstrate or obesity as a problem for more than five years .
o have exhausted all reasonable efforts to reduce the weight by not methods - surgical (pills , exercise , diet , creams and placement , special clothing , etc.).
You or co- morbidity (illness / medical illnesses that are caused by or contributed to morbid obesity. , For example , diabetes , hypertension , high cholesterol, sleep apnea and arthritis)
Along with this, the patient must also provide details of your insurance company :
or a medical condition related to the liver, kidney, heart , diabetes or gastrointestinal disease
The test results or thyroid
o Any history of alcohol or drug abuse
Business sense for health insurance companies to pay for weight loss surgery . There are a number of health risks associated with obesity cost more money insurance companies if bariatric surgery is not done in advance. Health risks associated with obesity are heart disease , arthritis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes , gout, back pain, pregnancy complications , problems with bladder control and cancer to name a few . Additions to this are psychological problems such as low self-esteem , depression and eating disorders.
According to the report of U.S. Government research published in the New York Times in 2004 , obesity is about to overtake smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States ( deaths snuff - are still number 1 18.1 percent). According to a November 2007 report by the National Center for Health Statistics obesity rates of health in the United States was 34 percent ( of U.S. adults aged 20 years or more). Obesity is defined by them as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more.
Strict requirements that the patient must meet the bariatric benefits health insurance discourages many of the opportunity to use the benefits of weight loss surgery your health insurance plan ( even if your insurance policy coverage ) .
A viable alternative that is considered by many is affordable bariatric surgery in a place abroad. These include the common bariatric surgery like gastric banding , gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery. Popular destinations for U.S. patients seeking the cost of bariatric surgery is effective Mexico and Costa Rica. Many surgeons in these places abroad or have more experience than their U.S. counterparts. Many times the total cost of the operation and the cost of packaging is still less than the cost to the patient would pay if the insurance pays its share of the health insurance coverage .
