Insurance Approval
Does Insurance Cover Weight
Loss Surgery?
The answer is "yes"! In most
cases, if it is medically appropriate, insurance will
cover your weight loss surgery.
Once you have your insurance approval,
we are clear to move forward with surgery. If your insurance
denies the preauthorization, you have several options
available. The first step would be to appeal the denial.
If this is unsuccessful, you may request an outside
reviewer to examine your request. Finally, there are
some legal firms that specialize in helping overweight
individuals get approval for surgery. As a last resort,
some patients have switched their insurance to a different
company. Luckily, these more drastic measure are rarely
needed.

How Does the Process Work?
When you call to make an appointment, our insurance
specialist will ask for your insurance information --
you can usually find this on your insurance card. After
your consultation, the surgeon will compose a "Letter
of Necessity" to your insurance company, stating
all the reasons why your operation is medically necessary.
When all your preoperative testing is done, the letter
will be submitted to your insurance company along with
all the preoperative information. This process is called
"preauthorization" and is required for all
elective surgery procedures. Every insurance company
takes a different amount of time to preauthorize surgery
-- some a few days, others a few weeks, and some a few
months.

What Happens When the Preauthorization
is Complete?
Once you have your insurance approval, we are
clear to move forward with surgery. Our nurse practitioner
or medical assistant will schedule your operation for
you at a convenient time.

FAQ |
Q. What happens if
the insurance company decides not to authorize
my surgery?
A. If your insurance denies the preauthorization,
you have several options available. The first
step would be to appeal the denial. If this is
unsuccessful, you may request an outside reviewer
to examine your request. Finally, there are some
legal firms that specialize in helping overweight
individuals get approval for surgery. As a last
resort, some patients have switched their insurance
to a different company. Luckily, these more drastic
measure are rarely needed. |
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