Estimating The True Total Cost Of Gastric Bypass Surgery
Gastric bypass surgery is not cheap and, unfortunately, many people choose to undergo surgery knowing the baseline gastric bypass cost but overlooking the fact that a variety of factors, frequently outside of their control, will result in the cost of gastric bypass surgery being far higher than they had expected by the time they are finished.
Gastric bypass surgery involves much more than merely the operation itself. In the majority of cases it will also involve extensive pre-operative counseling and many surgical centers require you to undertake a pre-treatment program before approving your surgery. Additionally, most patients will require a period of follow-up nutritional and dietary counseling. These two items can add considerably to the final cost of a gastric bypass.
You also need to consider the risk of complications arising, which may require additional surgery and hospitalization or outpatient treatment.
All gastric bypass surgery patients will suffer some complications which will vary from minor problems which are easily treated to serious complications which result in further surgery and hospitalization for perhaps several days. Once again, complications can add very considerably to the cost of gastric bypass surgery and can even end up doubling the cost.
Finally, you need to consider is whether or not your insurer will meet your costs. A growing number of insurance companies are covering weight loss surgery today but there are still all too many policies which exclude obesity treatment. Further, where a policy does cover obesity treatment, you may find that there a number of conditions detailing exactly what they will and what will not pay for. Your policy might for example limit cover to certain types of surgery (like the Roux en Y procedure) and only cover the cost of the operation itself.
Surgical centers will ordinarily give you advice on insurance cover and will often even contact your insurance company for you to ask whether or not they would pay a claim for your intended surgery.
However, you should view this as simply advice and protect yourself against problems at a later date by writing to your insurance company yourself and obtaining their written confirmation of your cover in advance of any treatment.
In writing to your insurer you need to ascertain the full extent of your cover, including cover for pre and post-surgical counseling and treatment and in the event of complications.
The basic cost of gastric bypass surgery typically runs from about $15,000 to $35,000 depending upon the nature of the operation you are considering and where your surgery is going to be carried out. However, the final cost of gastric bypass surgery is likely to be quite a bit higher than this basic cost.
In short - do your homework and do not commit yourself to surgery until you are happy that you can comfortably meet the final price which you may have to pay.
Did you know that you may be able to claim tax relief for weight loss surgery?
The Inland Revenue Service (IRS) may give tax relief in certain circumstances to people who are required to pay out-of-pocket expenses for weight loss programs.
More articles about gastric bypass surgery:
How Does The Gastric Bypass Promote Weight Loss? - This article looks at the gastric bypass and examines just how a surgical procedure can create a dramatic and lasting loss of weight.
Is The Mini Gastric Bypass The Ideal Weight Loss Solution? - For anyone facing weight loss surgery the mini gastric bypass certainly sounds like an attractive option, but is it as simple as its name suggests?
Is The Renee Williams Gastric Bypass An Inspiration Or A Warning? - On 20 February 2007 Renee Williams became the largest ever woman to undergo weight loss surgery when she underwent a five hour laparoscopic gastric bypass operation at the Renaissance Hospital in Houston.
Slimming Products - Israel - Market Report - New Market Report Published - Of...
29 Jul 2010 at 7:55am
Slimming Products - Israel - Market Report - New Market Report Published
OfficialWire (press release)
... in 2009 as it was found by the Israel Diabetes Association that there was a steep increase in the number of Israelis undergoing gastric bypass surgery. ...
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'Excellence' centers no better for bariatric surgery - Reuters India
28 Jul 2010 at 2:21pm
'Excellence' centers no better for bariatric surgery
Reuters India
The researchers tracked more than 15000 obese people up to one month after they had surgery. The surgeries included gastric bypass, which reduces the ...
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Diabetics eye obesity surgery to tame blood sugar - The Associated Press
7 Jul 2010 at 6:44pm
Diabetics eye obesity surgery to tame blood sugar
The Associated Press
A recent analysis by the North Carolina-based nonprofit RTI International found that gastric bypass and banding are cost-effective methods of reducing ...
Diabetics Obesity Surgery: Stomach Stapling for the Not-So-Fat?CBS News
Weight Loss Surgery Could be Key in Battling Diabetes...
Fat fighters seek teen Lap-Band patients - OCRegister
28 Jul 2010 at 10:19am
Fat fighters seek teen Lap-Band patients
OCRegister
Both are a reversible alternative to gastric bypass surgery, which routes food around the stomach, connecting the esophagus directly to the small intestine. ...
Some health experts wary of gastric bands for teens - msnbc.com
26 Jul 2010 at 11:08am
msnbc.com
Some health experts wary of gastric bands for teens
msnbc.com
The procedure is considered less invasive and risky than gastric bypass. Banding could also be an especially attractive option for teens, say proponents, ...
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