Does Insurance Cover The Cost of Bariatric Surgery?

Does Insurance cover the cost of bariatric surgery? It depends.  

To be safe and accurate, it is best to contact your insurance carrier to see if the bariatric surgery is covered. The good news is, the offices at the BASS Bariatric Surgery Center will contact them for you, to see if the treatment is covered.  We have worked with most commercial plans including Aetna, BCBS, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, and United Healthcare; we also work with Medicare and Medical or county programs like CCHP and CHCN, and we are contracted with HMO’s like John Muir and Sutter Select.  Most insurances want to see that you are not getting weight loss surgery for cosmetic purposes, but that you are treating the underlying disease. One of the underlying diseases most commonly is Obesity. Obesity, if left untreated, can lead to more serious consequences such as heart disease or stroke. 

Many insurance companies will pay for treating conditions caused by obesity, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Here are some of the conditions associated with Obesity that MAY be covered if you’re suffering from the following:

• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Some Types of Cancer
• Gallbladder Disease
• Certain Types of Arthritis

It is best to see a bariatric surgeon if you have any of these symptoms so they can monitor and document the severity of your disease.  Each insurance provider has different requirements, so it is best to see a physician to help guide you to your treatment.  At the BASS Bariatric Surgery Center, we will work with the patients to make the process as smooth as possible.

We are not contracted with Kaiser Permanente directly, so your bariatric surgery would not be covered by Kaiser insurance. Instead, you will pay cash pricing, or we can set up an easy payment plan with our billing department.

For questions regarding co-pays, deductibles, or coinsurance, please call our office at 925-281-3711 and speak to one of our staff members. Our offices have been performing bariatric surgeries for over 20 years and have come to understand working with the different insurance companies.  We will do our best to ensure a smooth process, from your first appointment to your last, including working with your insurance company.