| For years now insurance companies have found it | | | | the position that gastric bypass surgery ought only to |
| quite easy to deny planholders cover for many types | | | | be used as a last resort and that every possible |
| of weight loss surgery - but is this position about to | | | | attempt to lose weight using exercise and diet, including |
| change? | | | | if necessary the use of medication, must be |
| Ask any bariatric surgeon whether or not gastric | | | | exhausted before weight loss surgery is considered. |
| bypass surgery lowers a patient's risk of early death | | | | additionally, they have also stuck to the line that gastric |
| and he will tell you without hesitation that it does. | | | | bypass surgery should only finally be done if weight |
| Indeed, he will undoubtedly be surprised that you have | | | | presents a risk to life. |
| asked the question at all as surgeons have known for | | | | For most people this stance by the insurance |
| years that weight loss surgery extends a patient's | | | | companies is seen as being totally ridiculous and a |
| life.but, put that same question to a number of | | | | position which they have clearly adopted merely to |
| insurance companies and you may well receive a | | | | save the insurance company money. Nevertheless, |
| different answer because, until now, despite the fact | | | | and despite this point of view, the insurance companies |
| that there has been a lot of anecdotal evidence for | | | | have gotten away with this for years now because it |
| what everyone knows to be the position, there has | | | | has not been possible to show in terms of facts and |
| not been any hard, concrete scientific proof. | | | | figures that gastric bypass surgery is not just a |
| Today however the results of two studies have | | | | convenient and relatively easy way to lose weight but |
| clearly shown in numerical terms that gastric bypass | | | | is the only option open to many obesity sufferers and |
| surgery has a significant effect on the death rates of | | | | an option that will not only improve their quality of life |
| those concerned. | | | | but literally extend their lives, in many cases quite |
| In the first, a multi-center United States study involving | | | | significantly. |
| 16,000 patients followed for 7 years, long-term death | | | | For years now overweight individuals have battled with |
| rates fell by as much as 40 percent. At the same time | | | | their weight and, although some people have |
| a second Swedish study involving some 4,000 patients | | | | experienced very limited success, the vast majority of |
| showed a 29 percent fall in death rates. | | | | people (and certainly those who are faced with losing |
| For a long time now insurance companies have sought | | | | more than 80 pounds) have found that diet and |
| to put obstacles in the way of patients to stop them | | | | exercise simply does not work. Despite this fact, they |
| from submitting claims for weight loss surgery and this | | | | have had no choice and doctors have been forced to |
| has been gaining momentum in recent years as the | | | | lead patients down this path because of the stance of |
| number of obesity operations being carried out has | | | | the insurance companies. |
| climbed dramatically and weight loss surgery has | | | | It is to be hoped that now at long last the insurance |
| become more and more accepted with a number of | | | | companies will be forced to meet their responsibility in |
| celebrities such as Star Jones, Carnie Wilson, Al | | | | this area and at last put the needs of their |
| Rocker and others undergoing obesity surgery. | | | | policyholders before those of their shareholders. |
| Insurance companies have however stuck strictly to | | | | |