Posted by Michelle Johnson

If you are considering weight-loss surgery, you have probably spent some time wondering if your insurance will cover the procedure. Generally speaking, most insurance companies have come to understand the importance of fighting obesity. Though your insurance provider will need to ensure that you qualify for weight-loss surgery, your chances of securing coverage have improved dramatically in recent years. Even if you do not have insurance or qualify for coverage, NewHope Bariatrics has a number of options to make both the LAP-BAND® procedure and long-term weight loss an exciting - and affordable - reality.

Conditions for Coverage

When trying to determine if your insurance provider will cover weight-loss surgery, you should first refer to the information package you received when your policy coverage began. In most cases, the benefits of your insurance policy will be listed clearly under a title such as “covered expenses.” If you do not have access to your insurance policy, you can simply call the customer service phone number listed on your insurance card and ask the representative if bariatric surgery is covered, and if so, what the requirements for coverage are. Please note that while and insurance companies may have plans that offer bariatric surgery coverage, often, the employer chooses whether to offer bariatric coverage as part of its specific policy. So, if your insurance is through an employer, please verify that your specific policy covers surgery for obesity. If it seems that weight-loss or bariatric surgery is not covered by your policy, pay close attention to the fine print and try to determine if there are any exceptions - such as secondary health concerns - that may qualify you for coverage.

Before your insurance provider will approve you for coverage, they will need to verify that you meet the requirements to pursue weight-loss surgery. For your insurance provider to determine that the procedure is medically necessary, you will need to submit detailed information about both your health and previous failed efforts to lose weight . Much of this information can be provided in a document known as a Letter of Medical Necessity. NewHope Bariatric physicians are very familiar with the requirements of insurance companies in determining coverage for weight-loss surgery. We will supply your insurance company with appropriate documentation and records. In this letter, the following information is usually included:

• Why weight-loss surgery is medically necessary - This section covers information about how obesity directly impacts your overall health or documentation of secondary health conditions that have been impacted by your weight to demonstrate that weight-loss surgery is the most effective treatment.

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