Will Your Weight Loss Surgery Be Covered by Health Insurance? It's Likely, notes Dr. Feiz and Associates
Most major insurance companies now cover weight loss surgery for individuals qualifying as severely obese
LOS ANGELES, April 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- It's well known today that the cost of just about any surgery is far from insignificant and often well outside the range of a typical family budget. That's why the issue of whether or not weight loss surgery is covered by insurance weighs heavily on the minds of most prospective patients. Michael Feiz, M.D., F.A.C.S. of Dr. Feiz and Associates would therefore like to underline that appropriate weight loss procedures are typically covered by major insurance companies under circumstances that apply to the large majority of severely obese individuals.
A few examples of how insurance coverage for bariatric procedures typically works can be found on Dr. Feiz's web site on its Sleeve Gastrectomy Insurance page. It includes information on policies offered by health insurance giants United Healthcare, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Aetna. The insurance companies all offer coverage under a specific set of circumstances, one of which covers the vast majority of severely obese individuals.
To be specific, these circumstances include a patient being 100 pounds or more over his or her ideal weight or having a BMI (body mass index) of 40 or more. Patients are also typically covered if their BMI is 35 or more, and they are also affected by some of the numerous medical threats typically associated with obesity. These usually include hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, or such less well known illnesses as sleep apnea, mechanical arthropathy, and lower extremity lymphatic issues.
It's important for prospective patients to consider that insurance companies are relatively quick to cover weight loss procedures because the procedures have been proven to – from the point of view of insurers – pay for themselves over the long run. That is because they have been proven to prevent many illnesses that are far more expensive to treat than to prevent. This is good news for the patient because savings for the insurance company translate to a far healthier and happier life. This also means a reduction in the long-term expenses associated with copays, deductibles, and other expenses of hospitalization that may burden patients and their families.
Obesity is frequently compared to smoking as a health risk, but it's clear that – as hard as it can be – giving up cigarettes is vastly easier than permanently defeating severe obesity. The only technique proven to be consistently effective is bariatric surgery, which significantly reduces the persistent feelings of hunger that can ordinarily make a long term weight loss next to impossible.
To find out whether you or a loved one is a candidate for an insurance covered weight loss procedure, your best bet may be to attend one of the regularly scheduled, free information seminars at the offices of Dr. Feiz and Associates. Call (800) 868-5946 or visit the clinic's web site at www.drfeiz.com.
PR Submitted by Cyberset.com
SOURCE Dr. Feiz and Associates
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