Weight Loss Surgery Cost

If you are considering surgery for obesity, weight loss surgery cost is something that quickly crosses your mind. There is a price for this procedure like everything in life and you want to make sure it fits your budget before having it. While the cost of this surgery is on the decline, there are more ways of financing this surgery than you may realize. Your health should be your first priority and should not be derailed by worries of how you are going to pay for the operation.

First of all, there is a big difference in the cost of the surgery depending on whether you have gastric banding or the roux-en-y. The roux-en-y, the more invasive type of weight loss surgery will run about $30,000. The gastric band, a surgery that is being done more as an outpatient or overnight hospital stay costs from $10,000 to $15,000. These figures may seem staggering, but when you think about it, the cost of being obese will most likely exceed the cost of either of these medical procedures over time. And being obese will have some effects on your body that will not be reversible.

Many insurance companies have realized the value of having weight loss surgery to not only the individual, but to their bottom lines. As a result they are paying for this lifesaving procedure. Medicare has also jumped on the band wagon and they also pay for the lap band procedure. What portion of the cost of this surgery an insurance company will pay varies from company to company and plan to plan.

I was fortunate when I had my surgery. The cost was around $30,000 and my insurance company paid everything but a $250 deductible. Now, with that being said, I did not walk away with this being the only cost for this procedure. There is quite a few presurgery costs that are not covered by insurance. My insurance company required 6 months of presurgery education on diet, exercise and life management. I was required to have a visit with a psychiatrist, nutritionist, a physical and lots of blood work. The cost for all of this was about $1500. All in all, I got a better deal than most.

Most people that have to pay for this weight loss procedure without the help of insurance normally opt for gastric banding for financial reasons. There are several alternatives for paying for this operation. There are medical financing companies that loan money to individuals for elective medical procedures in addition to procedures that are not covered by insurance. Also, many of the bariatric surgery centers have financing options. There are also places that you can apply online for medical financing.

Lap band and Realize are two companies that manufacture gastric bands and both of these companies offer financing to patients that have the procedure with their product. These companies give many obese people hope for the future. They can restore your health and give you back your life. But this new life will not come without making changes. You have to begin to live the life of a healthy person by making smart choices and exercising. The world is full of gastric bypass patients that have regained their weight thinking that all they had to do was have the surgery.