Finding grants for gastric bypass surgery can be next to impossible, but it doesn’t mean that you should give up so soon. Dealing with obesity requires a lot of work, time and commitment. However, in some cases, that exercising and dieting isn’t enough. Sometimes, it requires some drastic measures to help a person dealing with obesity. One of those measures is the bariatric surgery, which is also known as gastric bypass surgery.
Grants for Gastric Bypass Surgery Faq’s
How much does gastric bypass surgery cost?
You might have guessed that it’s a very expensive procedure. However, how much exactly does a gastric bypass surgery cost? According to recent reports, the cost of this procedure range between $20,000 and $25,000 in the United States. This cost can be broken down into several parts, including the surgery type cost, the surgeon’s fee, the hospital costs, and additional costs.
The largest portion of the cost is related to the type of surgery you’re taking. While many people refer to gastric bypass surgery as the weight loss surgery, there are actually several other surgical procedures that can be considered as a weight loss surgery, including adjustable gastric banding, stomach stapling, biliopancreatic diversion, sleeve gastrectomy, etc. Additional costs may include the fee for surgical assistants, anesthesiologist’s service, consultation, and follow-up procedures.
Is there any grant for gastric bypass surgery?
As far as we know, currently the only available grant that is made specifically for gastric bypass surgery comes from a charity non-profit organization called the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America (WLSFA).
There are three basic requirements that must be met if you want to be considered as a grant recipient. The first one is that you need to be approved for weight loss surgery, indicated by a letter of referral from your surgeon’s office via the WLSFA Online Referral Form. The second one is proof that you have no insurance or you have been rejected from your insurance plan coverage and from every funding opportunity available, including Medicaid, personal loan provider, etc. Last but not least, the third requirement is that you are willing to raise at least 10% of the money needed for your gastric bypass surgery. You also need to write an essay telling your story. This can help the board to determine which person most deserves the financial aid.
The application for this gastric bypass surgery grant is open every year from June to December.
Are there any other options?
Well, actually, there are. The first obvious one would be your health insurance. Many insurance providers recognize that obesity problem can lead to more serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, etc, hence some of them may provide partial coverage for this procedure. The most important thing about it is to have a proper consultation with your insurer and your doctor, as well as reading the whole policy.
Typically there are four basic requirements before you are eligible for the coverage. The first one is the proof that the gastric bypass surgery is medically necessary, which is provided by your surgeon. The second one is that the proof that you have completed a weight loss program for a set period of time (typically 6 months). The third and fourth one is the evaluation of nutrition and psychology, which is performed by professionals.
Do I have Other Options?
Well, if your insurance claim is rejected, and you are also not qualified for the gastric bypass surgery grant from the WLSFA, you can ask your surgeon’s office for a payment plan instead. Basically, you have to pay a portion of the surgery up front, and then you pay the surgeon monthly to get the surgery started.
References
- Paying for Weight Loss Surgery
- Is Gastric Bypass Surgery ever free?
- Image: memphishealthandfitness.com
