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What are the Best Tips for Financing Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Autumn Rivers
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Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 10,158
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While undergoing surgery to lose weight may seem appealing to many people, it is often too expensive for most patients to afford on their own. Fortunately, there are a few ways to pay for this type of surgery, though it usually takes time to decide on the best method. One of the cheapest ideas for financing gastric bypass surgery is to use health insurance when possible. Those without insurance, or whose request for gastric bypass coverage has been rejected, should consider asking about money-saving deals from the hospital when paying out of pocket. Finally, those with good credit can use their superior score to their advantage, as credit cards and personal loans are often available to help with large purchases.

Since obesity is often considered life-threatening, it makes sense to expect medical insurance to pay for gastric bypass procedures just as readily as they would other life-saving surgeries. Unfortunately, many insurance providers consider this an elective surgery, which means that they will only cover it if they are given a letter from the doctor explaining that the patient may die without the procedure. In some cases, the patient would need to not only be obese to have the surgery covered, but also have a related condition, such as coronary heart disease or type 2 diabetes. Of course, even patients whose insurance providers agree to pay, will still owe co-pays and deductibles, which can be quite high.

Most people find that financing gastric bypass surgery through insurance is often not possible, which requires them to consider paying out of pocket. While this may seem a difficult task for many, patients should take into consideration the fact that many hospitals offer reduced prices for those without insurance. Before saving up the money for the procedure, patients should ask either their surgeon or their local hospital about possible discounts for those who are financing gastric bypass surgery on their own. In fact, some hospitals offer payment plans with no interest added, allowing patients to pay over time without penalty.

If none of these ways for financing gastric bypass surgery work out, patients with good credit can typically rely on it to help them afford this procedure. Patients who already have credit cards with low interest rates can use them to finance this surgery. On the other hand, some clinics offer their own line of credit, in which case the interest rate should be compared to those of the patient's current credit cards. Patients who do not have low interest cards to help with financing gastric bypass surgery may consider taking out a personal loan instead. This type of financial assistance usually features a low interest rate so that most of the payments go toward the cost of surgery rather than just interest.

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Autumn Rivers
By Autumn Rivers
Autumn Rivers, a talented writer for WiseGeek, holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University. Her background in journalism helps her create well-researched and engaging content, providing readers with valuable insights and information on a variety of subjects.

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Discussion Comments
By Heavanet — On Apr 30, 2014

@ocelot60- I have a friend who was in this type of situation. She worked for a small company that cared a lot about its employees, so she asked the human resources department about the possibility of the company offering this type of plan. The human resource officer did some research, and found an option that allowed employees to choose a plan that covered gastric bypass surgery if they preferred. My friend was able to get most of her gastric bypass surgery costs covered with this health insurance plan.

Companies vary about their attitudes towards this type of coverage, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Many companies value their employees' health, and want to do all they can to help improve it.

By Ocelot60 — On Apr 29, 2014

A friend once told me that sometimes employers are willing to help their employees find health insurance plans to help them cover gastric bypass surgery costs. Does anyone have any information about how to go about finding out about this option?

Autumn Rivers
Autumn Rivers
Autumn Rivers, a talented writer for WiseGeek, holds a B.A. in Journalism from Arizona State University. Her background in journalism helps her create well-researched and engaging content, providing readers with valuable insights and information on a variety of subjects.
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