What Should I Expect To Pay For Lap Band Surgery?

By Author: Donald Saunders
Total Articles: 84
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Anyone contemplating lap band surgery will probably have a list of questions and fairly high up on that list will be the question of cost. Sadly, although this might appear to be a simple question, it is not all that easy to answer.

The cost of lap band weight loss surgery will depend upon a lot of factors but the first thing you need to do is determine whether you qualify as a candidate for surgery. Coming to the decision that you need or want lap band surgery is one thing but when it comes to paying for surgery whether or not you meet the criteria of the National Institutes of Health (NHI) is an important factor.

In general, if you have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater then you will automatically meet the NIH requirements. You might also qualify if your BMI falls between 35 and 39 providing you are also suffering from a serious medical problem which is related to your weight. The list of associated medical conditions is long but will include things like diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension.

If you fail to meet the NHI criteria then you will need to pay the full cost of lap band surgery yourself.

The ...
... next thing which you have to consider is whether your health insurance plan will pay for all or part of the cost of surgery. It is frequently said that insurance companies will not meet the cost of weight loss surgery but this is not so and health insurers are increasingly funding either all or some of the cost of lap band surgery. However, your insurer will only fund the cost if you meet the criteria laid down by the NIH and if your doctor states that surgery is medically necessary.

So, how much does lap band surgery cost?

The cost of lap band surgery is complicated because you have to take into account not just the cost of surgery itself but the associated costs and these will vary widely according to where surgery is carried out and by whom. Costs must include things like pre-surgical tests, fees for your surgeon and hospital fees. In addition, there will be a number of post-surgery fees for services such as medical visits, nutritional counseling and psychological support.

If surgery is carried out in the US then you may reasonably expect it to cost anywhere between $17,000 and $30,000 for surgery and post-operative treatment providing you do not run into any complications. Although major complications are uncommon they do occur every so often and costs can then increase dramatically.

If surgery is carried out outside of the US then the cost will be less and you may expect it to cost between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band procedures have been carried out for many years in Europe and Australia where results have been very good and is also now being carried out increasingly in countries such as Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico and the Far East.

Should you be contemplating going abroad for weight loss surgery then you will have to include the cost of travel and post-operative care which can add considerably to the overall cost but may still be cheaper than having surgery at home. You also need to check with your insurer if applicable because it is unlikely that your insurer will fund the cost of any surgery that is carried out abroad. Finally, you will have to take into consideration the fact that you could have considerably less legal protection if anything goes wrong with surgery away from your home country.

Generally speaking having surgery in your home country is likely to be your best option but if the difference in cost is large enough in your own case then you could well consider that it is worth the risk.