Persons who are obese suffer from various physical and mental issues. As a result, even after attempting all these methods if you are unable to shed the weight, it is smart to consult with your weight loss  specialist the process of a gastric bypass surgery lose weight.

However, the gastric bypass cost may not seem to fit everyone’s budget. So, the expense for mini gastric bypass may very well suit the finances of such patients. A simple mini gastric bypass surgical procedure decreases excess fats, calories, and absorption of foods from the small intestines.

Typically, the cost of mini gastric bypass procedure is between $15,000 – $20,000. Open incision and laparoscopic surgery are a couple of techniques that are used to perform the surgery. Because most insurance companies are insuring the procedure gastric weight loss surgery, it is a good idea to verify with your insurance company before selecting any of the surgical techniques.

If you find out that the insurance company will not pay for such surgeries then choose to go for a mini gastric bypass surgery would be a great decision. As conventional bypass surgery normally runs above $20,000, a “mini” surgery will assist in losing some weight at a much lesser price.

On the other hand, there are some insurance companies who will insure this mini or conventional gastric bypass surgery subject to a person being qualified. To qualify, an individual has to be overweight by at least 100 pounds.

Also, the patient must have previously shown a continued attempts to reduce their weight from alterations in their lifestyle such as diet and exercise. The eligible individual should also not have any of the following: signs of depression past or present, psychiatric disorder or alcohol abuse.

In addition, it is also required for the patient to be considered obese for at least 5 years pre-surgery to become a qualified patient to request an insurance claim to take care of the gastric bypass surgery expense.

Besides the expenses, the added cost of emotions and physical anguish is there too.
The primary reason that lowers the mini gastric bypass expenses and the pain involved in this technique is because the different incisions made for this method are very tiny.

These incisions are made on the interior of the abdomen and a laparoscope is
used along with custom made instruments for the surgery. In summary, if you want an economical weight loss solution, mini gastric bypass surgery is without a doubt a smart consideration.

Ask any bariatric surgeon whether or not gastric bypass surgery lowers a patient’s risk of early death and he will tell you without any hesitation that it does. Indeed, he will probably be surprised that you are posing the question at all since surgeons have known for years that weight loss surgery extends a patient’s life.

but, put that same question to a range of insurance companies and you may well receive a different answer because, until very recently, in spite of the fact that there has been plenty of anecdotal evidence for what everybody knows to be the position, there has not been any hard, concrete numerical proof.

Now however the results of 2 studies have clearly demonstrated in numerical terms that gastric bypass surgery has a significant effect on the mortality of those concerned.

In the first, a multi-center United States study involving 16,000 patients who were followed for 7 years, long-term mortality fell by as much as 40 percent. additionally a second Swedish study involving 4,000 patients demonstrated a 29 percent fall in mortality.

Insurance companies have sought for a long time now to put obstacles in the path of patients to stop them from claiming for weight loss surgery and this movement has been gaining momentum in recent years as the number of weight loss surgeries being undertaken has risen dramatically and weight loss surgery has gained greater acceptance with a number of celebrities such as Al Rocker, Carnie Wilson, Star Jones and others undergoing bariatric surgery.

Insurance companies have however stuck rigidly to the line that gastric bypass surgery should only be used as a last resort and that every possible attempt to lose weight using exercise and diet, including if necessary the use of drugs, should be exhausted before weight loss surgery is considered. additionally, they have also stuck to the line that gastric bypass surgery may only finally be done if weight poses a life-threatening risk.

For most people this stance by the insurance companies is seen as being totally ridiculous and a position which has clearly been adopted merely to save the insurance company money. Like it or not, despite this view, the insurance companies have been able to get away with this for years now because it has been impossible to demonstrate in terms of facts and figures that gastric bypass surgery is not just a convenient and relatively easy way to lose weight but is the only option for many sufferers and an option that will not only improve their quality of life but literally extend their lives, frequently quite significantly.

For years overweight individuals have battled with their weight and, while some people have experienced very limited success, the vast majority of people (and unquestionably those who need to lose in excess of about 80 pounds) have discovered that diet and exercise simply does not work. Despite this fact, they have not had a choice and doctors have been forced to lead them down this path because of the intransigence of the insurance companies.

Perhaps at long last the insurance companies will be forced to face up to their responsibility in this area and at last put the needs of their policyholders above those of their shareholders.

Today, one out of every five adult American men and one out of every four adult American women are obese. Most of them just need to improve diet and exercise. But about 170,000 per year are having gastric bypass surgery to lose weight.

The operation is not inexpensive. The average asking price is $38,700. While some consider the radical weight-loss surgery cosmetic, in reality it can be a crucial procedure for someone whose life is being put at risk from obesity.

Gastric bypass surgeries typically show up in the press when we hear about another celebrity who has had one. Of the stars that have had gastric bypass surgery, the most famous may be singer Carnie Wilson, who was 300 pounds before she had the operation in 1999. She later made an appearance in Playboy to show off her new slimmed-down body, before appearing on TV again in 2006 to discuss a small amount of the weight she managed to regain after having a child.

Lost in some of the celebrity press coverage are the life-or-death issues at stake when someone undergoes the procedure. A gastroenterologist generally recommends the surgery only if a patient suffers from morbid obesity. For someone who has become morbidly obese, it is too late for traditional weight loss techniques such as diet and exercise. Someone suffering from this extreme type of obesity has already developed co-morbidities, which may include sleep apnea (airway obstruction during sleep), hypertension, adult onset diabetes, and atherosclerosis.

At this stage, the only effective treatment for the condition is gastric bypass surgery. With an average asking price of $38,700, it’s a procedure that few people can afford without insurance. Unfortunately, many insurance companies won’t cover it, arguing it is an elective procedure.

But, for something supposedly cosmetic and elective, gastric bypass surgery is an extremely risky undertaking. According to a study by the University of Washington, 1 in 50 people die after undergoing the surgery. Men over the age of 65 were at the greatest risk following surgery.

As the demand for the surgery has expanded, so has litigation over the after-effects, with some attorneys charging that doctors have entered the lucrative gastric bypass surgery market too early. According to some reports, one cause of injuries is inexperienced doctors rushing into the lucrative field to perform the increasingly popular surgery, which typically costs between $25,000 and $30,000.

In addition, someone who has undertaken the operation can suffer from these side effects:

Nutritional deficiencies
Dumping syndrome, where stomach contents move too rapidly through the small intestine, causing nausea, diarrhea and other problems after eating
Gallstones
Pouch stretching, when the stomach essentially stretches back to its old size
Acidic contents of the stomach leaking into the abdomen.

In short, gastric bypass surgery is not a procedure that should be taken lightly, either by the patient or by his or her doctor. Before undergoing the procedure, it’s of course important to have insurance coverage that will take care of both the costs of the operation itself and the aftermath.

Although most patients achieve successful outcomes, a significant proportion may develop postoperative gastrointestinal symptoms. Whether these symptoms represent necessary evils (adverse events related to dietary indiscretion) or unnecessary evils (postoperative complications) is difficult to interpret clinically, and frequently will require gastroenterology consultation.

Despite the negative side effects, people who undergo gastric bypass surgery generally enjoy significant weight loss, losing 60-70 percent of their excess weight over two years and keeping off at least 50 percent of what they lost a decade after surgery.

Even with the risk of death, gastric bypass surgery can be necessary operation because obesity is often a death sentence. 300,000 Americans die every year from being overweight.

Anybody who is considering lap band surgery will probably have a list of questions and fairly high up on that list will be the question of cost. Sadly, while this may seem like an easy question, it is not quite so easy to answer.

The cost of having lap band weight loss surgery will depend upon a whole host of factors but the first thing you need to do is determine whether or not you qualify as a candidate for surgery. Deciding that you need or want lap band surgery is one thing but when it comes to paying for surgery whether or not you meet the criteria of the National Institutes of Health is an important factor.

In most cases, if you have a body mass index of 40 or more then you will meet the requirements of the NHI. You may also qualify if your BMI falls between 35 and 39 providing you also have a serious medical problem which is directly associated with your weight. The list of related medical conditions is long but includes things like hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol.

If you fail to meet the requirements of the NHI then you will have to meet the full cost of surgery yourself.

The next thing which you have to examine is whether or not your health insurance policy will pay for some or all of the cost of your surgery. It is frequently said that insurance companies will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not the case and health insurers are increasingly funding either all or some of the bill for lap band surgery. Your insurance company will however only meet the cost if you meet the NIH requirements and your doctor certifies that your surgery is a medical necessity.

Okay, so what does surgery cost?

The cost of surgery is complicated as you need to factor in not just the cost of surgery itself but the associated costs which will vary widely depending upon where your surgery is performed and by whom. Costs will include things like pre-surgical tests, surgeon’s fees and hospital fees. In addition, there will be various post-surgery fees for services like follow-up medical visits, psychological support and nutritional counseling.

If surgery is done in the US then you can expect to pay anywhere between $17,000 and $30,000 for your surgery and post-operative care providing you do not run into any complications. While significant complications are uncommon they do crop up every so often and costs can then rise considerably.

If surgery is done outside of the US then the cost will be lower and you can expect to pay between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band procedures have been carried out for some considerably time in Europe and Australia where results have been excellent and is also now being increasingly performed in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, Canada and the Far East.

Should you be contemplating traveling abroad for weight loss surgery then you must add in the cost of travel and post-surgical care which can considerably increase the overall cost but still be less expensive than undergoing surgery at home. You also need to check with your insurance company if applicable because it is unlikely that your insurer will fund the cost of surgery which is carried out abroad. Lastly, you should note the fact that you may well have very much less legal protection if anything goes wrong with surgery away from your home country.

As a general rule having your surgery at home is likely to be your best and safest option but if the difference in cost is big enough in your own case then you may well consider that it is worth taking the risk.

Depending on the type of major medical insurance policy you have, most insurance companies will pay for gastric bypass surgery (also called bariatric surgery) if you meet certain conditions. However, some insurance companies have exclusion clauses for treating obesity. These companies refuse to cover any treatment related to “losing weight.” They will, however, treat the diseases caused by excessive body weight.
How do I qualify for coverage?

To qualify for coverage, gastric bypass surgery must be considered a medical necessity. The insurance company will make the final determination. They may rely on the information your doctor sends to them or they may require you to be seen by a doctor that they specify.

In either case, certain conditions must exist. Your weight problem must present a serious risk to your life. Don’t be surprised if they require a complete psychological evaluation in addition to your medical records. It is no secret that people eat too much of the wrong kinds of food for many reasons. While genetics and metabolic rate do affect how much a person weighs, often the primary causes of obesity are emotional and psychological. Gastric bypass surgery will not fix these emotional and psychological problems. In fact, if these issues are not dealt with prior to or along with the surgery, the patient may be more likely to experience serious complications. For this reason, all insurance companies require both a medical and psychological clearance before they will approve the surgery.

Remember, insurance companies are businesses. If they think you are a good candidate to maintain the weight loss permanently and that the $25,000 to $50,000 dollar price tag for gastric bypass surgery now will save them money in the long run by eliminating payment for other weight related medical problems, they will most likely cover the surgery.

How much will my insurance carrier cover?

If you are approved for gastric bypass surgery, your insurance company will pay anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the hospital and doctor fees. Some policies will even cover in-home nursing care after release from the hospital if it is deemed necessary by the doctors and approved by the insurance company.

Several different expenses typically are associated with gastric bypass surgery, such as testing to determine eligibility for gastric bypass surgery, pre-admission testing, in-hospital costs, surgeon and other doctor fees, and post-surgery medication and care. Even if your insurance company will not cover the actual procedure, they may cover one or more of the other costs related to your gastric bypass surgery.

How can I make up the difference?

Your surgical center should be able to help you determine what will and will not be covered by your specific policy. In addition, many surgical centers offer low-interest, long-term loans if you are not approved by the insurance company, do not have medical insurance, or have high co-payments.

Since 2000, the total cost of all medically necessary weight loss treatment has been considered a deductible medical expense for income tax purposes. Those tax deductions can help you pay for at least part of the cost of your gastric bypass surgery or help you get back your co-payment for the surgery. Under the Internal Revenue code, treatment for weight loss includes behavioral counseling, nutritional counseling, prescriptions, and gastric bypass surgery if they are undertaken to treat or prevent specific diseases caused by excessive body weight.

This article provides an overview of health issues related to gastric bypass surgery and is not intended to replace the advice of a medical practitioner. Please consult your doctor prior to making any major medical decisions.