Question:
Where can I find facts, with sources, that this surgery is not cosmetic?

My insurance company considers surgery cosmetic, I would like facts, data, studies, with sources, that this is NOT cosmetic, but surgery to decrease risk factors. Email [email protected].    — Lois F. (posted on October 10, 2001)

October 11, 2001
When you talk to your insurance company DON"T ask if they cover WEIGHTLOSS surgery, because THAT is considered cosmetic. Ask if they cover bariatric surgery ( or gastric bypass)for morbid obesity. Weightloss surgery is completely different than gastric bypass. Call them again and ask.......let us know what they say when you re-word it. Good Luck!
   — Kim B.

October 11, 2001
Unfortunately, some insurance companies and doctors too! consider bariatric surgery cosmetic. I think there are some folks here on this site that had to fight with their insurance companies to change the policies, so that bariatric surgeries were covered under their plans. I know one woman personally who did manage to change the insurance company's mind, and the policy was changed, and she had her surgery. Maybe some folks will be good enough to let you know how their plans worked. I wish you the best!!
   — [Anonymous]

October 11, 2001
Bariatric surgery, wls surgery, has been around for over forty years. Insurers do not deny coverage because they consider it to be a cosmetic procedure. They deny if for a host of other reasons like: 1. It's not proven to be effective in the long run 2. It's too risky 3. Weight loss can be achieved via dieting and exersize 4. Wls requires a lifelong committment to medical follow-up and to diet and lifestyle changes...a committment that they believe many obese people cannot make. I worked for Blue Cross for almost 10 years and denied coverage for quite a few wls's. These are tbe reasons for the denial. Never, ever did we deny it as a cosmetic procedure...except in cases in which the patient was not even close to being morbidly obese.
   — [Anonymous]

October 11, 2001
Hi Lois!----Get ready to do some homework!! 1. Visit the website of the National Institute of Health for position paper on obesity surgery 2. Check this one out--http://www.asbs.org/html/ration.html--3. Visit the very informative profile(s) of LeeAnn Krause--she has done some outstanding research!--Good Luck to ya!! Now get busy!! Peace and Love
   — karen D.

October 12, 2001
I believe the previous poster denied her own response when she said that insurance companies don't approve this surgery because they think the patient can lose weight with diet and exercise. This means that the insurance companies believe that surgery to remove excess weight in un-necessary and superficial (ie: cosmetic). Cosmetic surgery is just another name for surgery that is not necessary to retain life (such as an heart surgery). Insurance companies used to think that bariatric surgery wasn't necessary: the overweight could just lose weight if they tried.
   — [Anonymous]