Insurance, Cash Pay and Financing

by Regi Schindler, BLIS CEO/President

Becoming a BLIS Bariatric Surgeon is a highly selective process. Only those weight loss surgeons who meet BLIS underwriting requirements can offer their cash pay patients the protections of the BLIS program. Continuing as a BLIS Bariatric Surgeon is a function of maintaining good surgical outcomes as compared to all other BLIS Bariatric Surgeons.

As part of our underwriting process, BLIS uses a number of factors in evaluating the overall experience of the weight loss surgeon. The essential part of this underwriting process is data driven. Relying upon the unique data sets developed by BLIS, the weight loss surgeon must demonstrate surgical complication outcomes falling within the expected norms for each of the various bariatric procedures. Once approved, the BLIS Bariatric Surgeon is continually evaluated against the experience of the entire population of BLIS Bariatric Surgeons.

Having met underwriting requirements, the BLIS Bariatric Surgeon is then able to work closely with their respective hospital(s) and/or surgery center and BLIS to customize the complication protection included in their cash pay package. This involves a number of variables created by BLIS and supported by BLIS data. The three most important variables include:

• the type of procedure
• the specific covered complications included and 
• the length of time following surgery during which these protections are included

Ultimately, what you the patient can expect from a BLIS Bariatric Surgeon is a commitment that if certain complications occur within certain time frames following your weight loss surgery, you will not be billed for any meddical care. You will have no financial responsibility for covered medical care beyond that which you accepted as part of your initial cash package.

Some BLIS Bariatric Surgeons have gone one step further and begun offering cash pay patients multiple cash package options. For example, they may offer a base cash pay package which includes a certain amount of complication protection, (for example, 90 days following weight loss surgery) and then offer additional, more expensive cash pay packages including longer terms of protection, (for example, 18 months for specific complications such as Gastric Band Erosion, Slip and Port Site problems).

Either way, the ultimate level of protection for you, the cash pay patient, is in the form of a commitment by the BLIS Bariatric Surgeon to provide additional medical care at no additional cost if it falls within the conditions expressed, (e.g. time frame following weight loss surgery).

Only a BLIS Bariatric Surgeon can offer the cash pay patient this blanket of protection. Their commitment will be in writing as part of your cash pay agreement, allowing you to know exactly what you can count on.

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This information has been provided by BLIS, Inc. To learn more about BLIS solutions, visit http://www.bliscompany.com/.