How Much Could I Expect To Pay For Lap Band Surgery?

Anybody looking at lap band surgery will probably have a list of questions and quite high up on that list is going to be the question of cost. Regrettably, while this might seem like an easy question, it is not all that easy to answer.

The cost of having lap band weight loss surgery depends upon many different things but first you need to determine whether or not you qualify for surgery. Making up your mind that you need or want lap band surgery is one thing but when it comes to meeting the cost of surgery whether or not you meet the criteria of the National Institutes of Health (NHI) is a critical factor.

As a rule, if you have a body mass index of 40 or greater then you will automatically meet the requirements of the NHI. You may also qualify if your BMI is between 35 and 39 as long as you are also suffering from a serious medical condition that is directly related to your weight. The list of related medical conditions is long but includes such things as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

If you do not meet the criteria laid down by the NHI then you will need to meet the full cost of lap band surgery yourself.

The next thing you must determine is whether or not your health insurance plan will meet some or all of the cost of surgery. It is generally thought that insurance companies will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not the case and health insurers are increasingly meeting either some or all of the cost of lap band surgery. However, your health insurance company will only meet the cost if you meet the criteria laid down by the NIH and your doctor certifies that surgery is medically necessary.

Okay, so how much does lap band surgery cost?

The cost of lap band surgery is complex because you have to work out not simply the price of the surgery itself but the associated costs and these will vary considerably according to where surgery is carried out and by whom. Costs will need to include such things as pre-op tests, fees for your surgeon and hospital charges. Additionally, there will be several post-surgery charges for services such as follow-up medical visits, nutritional counseling and psychological support.

When surgery is carried out in the United States then you might expect it to run from $17,000 to $30,000 for surgery and follow-up care as long as you do not encounter any complications. While significant complications are not common they do crop up every now and again and the cost may then increase considerably.

When surgery is carried out outside of the United States then the cost will be less and you might expect it to run between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band surgery has been carried out for many years in both Australia and Europe where the results have been excellent and is now being carried out increasingly in countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India and the Far East.

Should you be thinking about traveling overseas for weight loss surgery then you will have to add in the cost of travel and post-operative care which can considerably increase the total cost but may still be less expensive than undergoing surgery at home. You also need to check with your health insurance company if applicable because it is unlikely that your insurer will meet the cost of any surgery that is performed overseas. Finally, you should think about the fact that you may have considerably less legal protection should anything go wrong with surgery away from your home country.

In general having surgery in your home country is likely to be your best option but if the difference in cost is big enough in your particular case then you may well consider that it is worth the risk.

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