Bariatric Surgery: Finding The Money

Mar 11
11:25

2012

Aloysius Aucoin

Aloysius Aucoin

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Bariatric surgery can be an effective way to get control of your life and move away from the precipice of life and death. Many insurance companies don't cover the procedure, but there are ways to pay for the procedure.

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Bariatric surgery can be an effective way to get control of your life,Bariatric Surgery: Finding The Money Articles lose weight, and move away from the precipice of life and death. There have been countless situations where the procedure has given a patient back their sense of importance, freedom, and hope. Nonetheless, many insurance companies don't cover the procedure. This can be a problem, of course, as the procedure isn't exactly cheap. But there are ways to pay for the procedure. By all means though, the best way is to go through your insurance program. Try first before moving on to alternative methods. Don't assume you aren't covered, even if you suspect you aren't.

Get the Paperwork in Place

Find out if there is any chance that your insurance company will cover the costs of bariatric surgery. If so, they will probably have a very strict system in place that must be followed if you want the costs to be covered. This will mean getting your paperwork in order, having the detailed costs from your doctor and surgeon, and presenting all of the information the insurance company needs in the proper format and order. Don't wind up being denied coverage because you forget a simple step or didn't dot your I's.

Appeal

Even if you are denied coverage off the bat, you can always appeal the decision. Write a letter of appeal and have it be signed by your doctor. Don't give up on the first denial. Depending on your insurance company, there may be a policy in place to deny coverage for major bariatric surgery out of hand, while approving most claims as they are appealed. This may seem like a shady way to do business, but insurance companies are in the business of preventing as much loss as possible. Unfortunately, every claim made is a loss and they will do whatever they legally can to avoid paying. Stay at it and give it your best shot.

Financing

Your appeal won't always be successful. You may have an insurance policy that simply won't cover bariatric surgery under any circumstances. You'll need to find the money from another source. Thankfully, many surgeons understand that this puts their patients in a difficult financial position. Many offices provide financing options patients can take advantage of. It is usually much easier to make regular payments than to finance a surgical procedure up front. As this form of weight loss operation can be life saving in some cases, it may be in your best interests to finance the costs, rather than saving up and paying for it as you come up with the money.