Insurance & Financing Information

For many people, gastric bypass surgery is affordable because it is included in their health insurance coverage. For other people, bariatric surgery is a medical treatment they pay for themselves, called self-pay or cash pay. Many people who have had surgery feel that even without insurance, the surgery is worth it. They look at it as an investment in their health.

Whether your insurance company will cover the cost of bariatric surgery or you are paying for it yourself, you will need to prepare detailed written documentation to support the medical necessity of your surgery. Thorough documentation of previous unsuccessful dieting attempts, including medically supervised attempts, co-morbid conditions, and other factors, such as the medications you're currently taking, can help document that bariatric surgery is necessary for the treatment of your morbid obesity.

Talk to Your Bariatric Program Coordinator

If you are interested in alternative financing options, please request to speak with your bariatric program coordinator. Your bariatric program coordinator should have experience in working with health insurance companies and helping patients finding insurance plans or other options for coverage for their gastric bypass surgery.

Few people are able to pay cash up front for surgery. If you do not have health insurance coverage for bariatric surgery, but would like to have it, there is a wide array of alternative financing options available to you.

Important Information for Self-Pay Patients

When it comes to self-pay patients, you should consider the expense of complications. It's a good idea to hope for the best and plan for the worst. If you do have health insurance (even if it does not cover bariatric surgery), be sure to read your policy. You may find that your insurance company will cover medical costs from complications due to the surgery.