Does Insurance Cover LAP-BAND Surgeries?
Friday October 16 2009posted by Adam - Total Comments: 0
Many people assume that insurance does not cover LAP-BAND surgeries, but that is not entirely true. In the past, it may have been "too new," or "too experimental," despite its FDA approval, but most insurance companies offer weight loss surgery - including LAP-BAND surgery - benefits on some plans.
Unfortunately, the insurance plans covering LAP-BAND surgery tend to be the top-of-the-line or premium packages that get overlooked by employers during recessions, or they are an add-on benefit that gets taken off to reduce costs. Fortunately, at Weight Loss Surgical Center, we have a staff of insurance specialists who will study your plan and work with your insurer to make sure you meet all the qualifications, and they will even file appeals for you if you are denied so that you can get any benefits that you have coming to you under your plan.
Some plans will have a direct exclusion on weight loss surgery (often referred to as bariatric surgery), and there's not much we can do if that's the case. However, in a recent blog article on LAP-BAND Insurance, and plan changes for next year, I extended the offer for some free materials from Allergan. I have a limited supply of a nice printed item about why employers should consider offering bariatric benefits. If you'd like one to show your HR department as they're considering new plans, email me at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and I'll send you a copy.