Weight Loss Surgery Insurance

Find out if the insurance company will cover bariatric surgery.

The Decision

Making the decision to have weight loss surgery can be difficult. Deciding the best course of action for your health is never easy to undertake. You'll more than likely make every effort to research the details of the surgery so that you know the risks and the benefits. You'll research your surgeon's background and his or her success rate. But before you do any of that, you'll need to determine whether or not you have insurance coverage for such a procedure as well.

Bariatric Surgery Insurance

The average cost for bariatric surgery in the United States, barring any complications, is around $25,000. These surgeries are on the rise all over the world. Determining whether or not you have weight loss surgery insurance should be as simple as a call to your HSA health insurance provider or reading through your insurance policy itself. Some insurance providers will cover the cost of having weight loss surgery simply because the surgery itself will reduce health risks that being overweight cause. These risks include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even arthritis. The cost to treat these illnesses over the course of one's lifetime is usually much more than the cost to have the weight loss surgery. However, due to the rising popularity of weight loss surgery both in the United States and globally, many insurance providers are now requiring what is called a "letter of medical necessity" from the insured.

Letter of Medical Necessity

Let's face it. Much of the United States is overweight, and there are many health concerns because of this. We've all seen the list of weight-related conditions that can be treated and even cured by weight loss. Though this is the case, there are still many people who are electing to have weight loss surgery for purely cosmetic reasons. The number of weight loss surgeries annually has increased from 16,200 in 1994 to 140,640 in 2004. Because of this, insurance companies now usually require prospective surgery recipients to provide a letter of medical necessity from their doctor and/or surgeon. This letter will explain to the insurance professionals that there are underlying health issues being caused by the excess weight, and that the surgery is the best treatment for the health issues themselves. The ultimate goal of weight loss surgery insurance providers is to save money on your health treatment in the long run. Very few insurance providers pay for cosmetic surgeries of any kind.

How Does This Apply To Me?

If you are considering having weight loss surgery, one of the most important steps is to contact your insurance provider. Ask them what they will and will not cover, and what information you and/or your doctor or surgeon may be required to provide. In many cases, simply being able to provide documentation to the insurance company to prove that you are having the surgery to improve your health and that it is being recommended by your doctor will suffice.

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