Weight loss surgery insurance woes
Why is it that so many insurance companies seem to put up roadblocks
to cover weight loss surgery, and specifically the Lap Band surgery?
My personal opinion:
1) You can get away with discriminating against people with obesity.
Can you imagine an insurance provider denying care to someone in a car accident tellling them "You should have been a more careful driver", or to someone with skin cancer "It's your fault for getting sunburned as a child" or to someone with advanced breast cancer "It's your fault for not getting mammograms"? Of course not. But despite being recognized by the medical establishment as a disease, obesity is still viewed by many people in society as something other than a disease.
2) Living in the past by looking at experience with gastric bypass instead of Lap Band.
It's human nature to be more mindful of negative experiences than positive ones. Many people know of someone who has had horrible complications of gastric bypass surgery, even death. So they equate bariatric surgery with gastric bypass. The reality is that weight loss surgery is much safer now than it has ever been, in large part due to the introduction of the Lap Band procedure.
3) The insurance company doesn't view you as a long term investment.
Statsitics show that many, if not most people, will switch insurance companies every 2 - 3 years. Therefore from a financial standpoint, many insurance companies have no incentive to spend money on something now that will improve your health in the future, when you might be insured by their competitors. In fact, that would save their competitors money, because you would be healthier and less of an economic burden on your new insurance company.
We all look forward to the day when all insurance providers place the Lap Band surgery on equal footing with other procedures that improve your health.
For general info, view our main page Lap Band Surgery Texas
My personal opinion:
1) You can get away with discriminating against people with obesity.
Can you imagine an insurance provider denying care to someone in a car accident tellling them "You should have been a more careful driver", or to someone with skin cancer "It's your fault for getting sunburned as a child" or to someone with advanced breast cancer "It's your fault for not getting mammograms"? Of course not. But despite being recognized by the medical establishment as a disease, obesity is still viewed by many people in society as something other than a disease.
2) Living in the past by looking at experience with gastric bypass instead of Lap Band.
It's human nature to be more mindful of negative experiences than positive ones. Many people know of someone who has had horrible complications of gastric bypass surgery, even death. So they equate bariatric surgery with gastric bypass. The reality is that weight loss surgery is much safer now than it has ever been, in large part due to the introduction of the Lap Band procedure.
3) The insurance company doesn't view you as a long term investment.
Statsitics show that many, if not most people, will switch insurance companies every 2 - 3 years. Therefore from a financial standpoint, many insurance companies have no incentive to spend money on something now that will improve your health in the future, when you might be insured by their competitors. In fact, that would save their competitors money, because you would be healthier and less of an economic burden on your new insurance company.
We all look forward to the day when all insurance providers place the Lap Band surgery on equal footing with other procedures that improve your health.
For general info, view our main page Lap Band Surgery Texas
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