Cost

[bigbobby]

I imagine that weight loss surgeries are really expensive. How much are they and is any of it covered by insurance?

[lia]

They're usually, really, really expensive. Like tens of thousands of dollars expensive. I mean every surgery is different of course and I'm sure the price varies by patient depending on what needs to be done, etc. As for it being covered by insurance, some insurance companies may cover it if the surgery is for health reasons...but if its a body lift to get rid of excess weight loss flab....they might not cover that. Again, it all depends on the insurance company, your plan and coverage, etc.

[freddyboy]

It is really expensive and it's not always covered. Also, I think you need to be recommended for certain surgeries by doctors, too. It's not like you can just waltz into your doctor's office and ask for surgery. As an actual medical procedure it's a treatment for obesity, which is now classified as a disease. As such, there's likely you'll be covered for this type of procedure, depending on your health plan. That said, in terms of actually getting excess skin removed after you've lost the weight and stuff, this is typically seen as cosmetic so you likely will have a much harder time getting covered for that and, on top of that, these body lift surgeries are expensive.

[legendarytroy]

It's a lot of money. To put it into better perspective, before insurance, the average gastric bypass surgery costs anywhere from $20.000 - $30,000 dollars. It's a serious investment.

[bigbobby]

It's a lot of money. To put it into better perspective, before insurance, the average gastric bypass surgery costs anywhere from $20.000 - $30,000 dollars. It's a serious investment.

HOLY COW! That's crazy expensive. I was thinking that it would be like a couple thousand dollars, not the same price as a new car or more than 50% of what I make in a year! God, how does anyone afford theses surgeries if insurance doesn't cover all if not most of it?

[tammybear]

HOLY COW! That's crazy expensive. I was thinking that it would be like a couple thousand dollars, not the same price as a new car or more than 50% of what I make in a year! God, how does anyone afford theses surgeries if insurance doesn't cover all if not most of it?

Yeah I know. It's really, really expensive. It's why so many people use it as a last resort....mind you, if you take prescription diet drugs, these aren't exactly really cheap either, especially depending on what kind you take and for how long you need to take it. Obesity treatments can put a serous hole in your wallet....

[bigbobby]

I can see now why people are so desperate to try anything to help them lose weight when it doesn't come with a huge bill!