Are you considering gastric bypass surgery to get rid of excess weight? Perhaps, you are wondering how much the procedure would cost you and if it is covered by insurance.

Prepare to spend much to be able to lose weight. Nowadays, weight loss or bariatric surgery costs around $20,000 to $35,000. In fact, the cost of weight loss surgery has gone down significantly in the past years. It varies depending on the quality of procedure itself, the experience of the surgeon, the medical team that will help in the operation, and the additional post-surgery services that a patient availed of.

Insurance Coverage for Weight Loss Surgery Patients

Is the cost of weight loss surgery covered by insurance companies? If a patient has insurance, he may pay part of the cost or nothing at all. A lot of health insurance companies have considered obesity as a serious health problem, so they cover part of or all the expenses incurred in weight loss surgery. This is because weight loss surgery can actually save them money in the long term. Insurance coverage for weight loss surgery depends on the insurance firm itself, the particular insurance policy, and the state where the patient is located (since there is no insurance coverage in some states). Also, insurance coverage is given only to qualified candidates or those who meet specific criteria set by an insurance company.

The following are the criteria that a weight loss surgery patient must meet to qualify for insurance coverage:

Obesity for at least five years before the surgery

Minimum of 100 lbs. of excess weight

Showed serious efforts to lose weight through diet and exercise but to no avail

No history of alcoholism

No history of depression or other mental disorders

To be able to enjoy the insurance benefits, the patient (with the help of the surgeon or clinic) is required to file some forms to the insurance company. One of the necessary forms include a Letter of Medical Necessity that usually indicates the patients weight or body mass index, obesity-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, etc.), and the duration of the patients obesity, among others.

On the other hand, weight loss surgery patients who are not covered by insurance must shoulder the costs themselves. These self-pay patients may apply for personal loans to be able to pay for the surgery, but this payment option involves interest rates.

Post-Surgery Costs

The cost of weight loss surgery must also include the expenses following the procedure. A change in lifestyle after the surgery results in certain expenses such as gym membership for the exercises and new sets of clothes, which will need to be replaced several times during the year.

Besides the financial costs, there are emotional and physical costs involved as well in the weight loss surgery. For one, the patient will need to adjust to the new lifestyle and the changes in his body, which can trigger high levels of stress and anxiety especially in the few weeks following the surgery. The physical cost of gastric bypass surgery involves being committed to the recommended diet plan to avoid serious complications and weight gain.

In particular, it means the patient must stay away from foods rich in fat and sugar, as well as avoid unhealthy habits such as skipping meals and overeating. Sticking to a regular exercise program is also part of the surgerys physical cost.

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There are many different weight loss surgery procedures but the weight loss surgery diet does not vary too much. High protein is essential to promoting healing and stimulate weight loss. But right at first the weight loss surgery patient needs to take it slowly when reintroducing foods to the digestive system.

After each procedure the pouch left by the surgery is only big enough to hold about an ounce of food. The weight loss surgery diet for the first few days following the surgery is high protein liquids only.

If all goes well, the patient can then graduate to puree or baby food consistency foods, all high protein as well. Baby food is a really good choice by the way. It is inexpensive and you can add some high protein powder to it if the protein amounts are inadequate.

When introducing more solid foods back in to your digestive system, you will be told to learn to chew your food well to avoid discomfort that can become extreme if you do not. Of course if you forget and do not chew your food well, you will only do it once. The discomfort you will feel will be very memorable and you will not forget again.

If you have already had your weight loss surgery you already know the “four rules” you need to follow regarding your follow up diet. The most important of the Four Rules is protein first. Which means that of all the nutrients taken in, patients should eat protein first, then carbohydrates, then fat.

The formula for computing how much protein you should be consuming in one day after your weight loss surgical procedure is 0.68g X your body weight in pounds = grams of protein per day. On average, protein consumption should be any where from 60g to 105g per day. Of course this is based only on a 1,200 calorie a day diet and varies on the patient and the nutritionist who is handling their case.

Some rich sources of protein you can choose from are fish, shellfish, chicken or turkey, meat and eggs. Consumption of nuts and legumes are discouraged, especially at first because they contain more fat than animal based proteins and because they are high in fiber, they are more difficult to digest.

Any foods that cause gas like fresh vegetables such as broccoli, cucumbers, green peppers, and cabbage should be avoided at all costs.

A high protein diet promotes fat loss because it takes more energy to digest protein than the amount of energy it contains so you body has to find other energy sources, like your fat stores, to completely digest the protein you ingest. So it would stand to reason that a high protein diet will trigger body fat mobilization.

Protein is important for growth and development of healthy muscle, skin, hair, nails and blood production. Protein intake is also essential for the healing process and a few extra grams of protein a day couldn’t hurt as part of a healthy weight loss surgery diet.

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