Many people come to Weight Loss Specialists of North Texas looking for help in losing a significant amount of weight. Most people considering bariatric surgery have done their research. They’ve typically tried many different approaches to weight loss on their own (often multiple times) and are ready to make a significant move to lose the weight for good and regain control of their health and their lives.
To these people, we say hooray!! And welcome! We’re so glad you’re here. And great news, we can help. There are several types of bariatric surgery, and we won’t know which procedure will give you the best chance at losing the weight and keeping it off for a lifetime until we spend some time getting to know you and assessing your overall health, lifestyle and weight loss goals.
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
A lot of our time is spent educating patients and answering questions. And that’s just fine with us! If we’re going to earn your trust and then partner with you in embarking on a new healthy lifestyle, we need to get to know each other, right?
Over the years, a common barrier has emerged when people are considering bariatric surgery and that is cost. How expensive is bariatric surgery? Will my insurance pay for it (or a portion of it)? What should I do if coverage is denied?
We hear these so often, we thought it would be helpful to deep dive on answering them here.
Does insurance cover bariatric surgery?
In many cases, the answer is yes! We can help you determine the scope of your insurance benefits and coverage as well as help you meet any bariatric surgery qualifying requirements your insurance company may have. Our insurance experts are well versed in working with most major insurance companies.
And even if you don’t qualify for coverage, we have great connections with reputable financing companies who have been very helpful in working with our patients in the past. Don’t let cost be a barrier to getting much-needed bariatric surgery! We can help.
How will I know if I qualify for bariatric surgery?
To be considered a candidate for surgical weight loss, you must have failed in at least one valid attempt at medical weight loss treatment. You will also typically have one or more of the following scenarios:
- 100 pounds or more over ideal body weight
- Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or greater
- At least 75 pounds over ideal body weight (BMI over 35) with at least one serious obesity-related disease
What if I qualify but my insurance company still denies coverage?
Remember what your mom said about if at first, you don’t succeed? Well, she was right! Let us help you with the try and try again part. “Even if you are denied coverage by your insurance carrier, there is an appeals process, and we can help guide you through it,” said Dr. A. As long as you meet the above-mentioned criteria, most insurance companies will cover bariatric surgery. You may just have to jump through a few hoops. Fortunately, we know which hoops!
Not the Easy Way, The Best Way
If you struggle with your weight, you’ve probably tried everything out there – diets, exercise, pills, hypnosis – anything that promises results. But often, these just leave you even more frustrated and disappointed.
Perhaps you’ve thought about weight loss surgery – but you stop yourself because it feels like the “easy way”. Many people feel like this…BUT we’re here to tell you that it’s NOT the easy way. For many, many of our patients, it’s the BEST WAY!
And if you’ve stopped yourself from pursuing bariatric surgery because you didn’t know if insurance would cover it or how you would afford it, please reach out! Let’s talk and see if weight loss surgery could be the solution you’ve been looking for.
