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.