Does Blue Cross Blue Shields (BCBS) of Louisiana cover bariatric surgery?
Even though Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana HMO does not provide coverage for weight loss procedure, there are many insurance carriers that provide different policies that can help cover your Bariatric surgery, of course, based on your plan. You may want to speak to your carrier first to determine what procedures they cover, whether you qualify for coverage and if you do, what the criteria are for using your benefits.
Consider other ways of financing your weight loss surgery because unfortunately, obesity puts you at risk for a host of serious diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. You are a good candidate for weight loss surgery if you are more than 100 pounds overweight and you haven’t had any success in achieving and sustaining a healthy weight loss over a period of time from various weight loss regimens.
You also may qualify for surgery if you have significant comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, lipid abnormalities, gastrointestinal disorders, and with a BMI between 35-40. You are also obligated to fulfill certain preoperative approval requirements, such as physician-supervised weight loss, an exercise program, psychology and nutrition consultation and testing before your insurance company can approve the surgery. Consider the following methods of financing your surgery before it’s too late:
Patient Financing
Because many finance programs require a credit check to approve applicants, you can obtain this type of funding through your bank, mortgage company or online internet financing companies. You shouldn’t have any problem getting patient financing if you have a good credit score.
Self-pay Option
The benefits of paying cash for your surgery is that you can choose which surgeon you want to perform your Bariatric surgery, and get the procedure done sooner. Paying cash will save you the stress of finding in-network insurance carriers or having to go through various tests, counseling, proving that you have tried all other methods of weight loss. You can also buy insurance to protect you against any surgical complications and associated costs.
Unsecured Medical Loan
You may qualify for this loan if you have a credit score of 620 and can be obtained through brokers, direct lenders, or by getting a credit card with a high enough limit to finance all or part of your weight loss surgery. Unlike a secured loan, this type of loan does not require collateral, which means it will have a higher interest rate and may affect your credit score, therefore, keeping up with the payment plan should be a priority.
Surgeons have a good working relationship with numerous healthcare companies who offer medical loans for weight-loss surgery at low or no interest. Therefore, talking to a Bariatric surgeon helps because he or she can be an excellent source for exploring financial options. Keep in mind that the out of pocket cost for Bariatric surgery will depend on the type of procedure you are planning to have, your hospital and surgeon of choice, insurance plan and benefits, special discounts, and tax savings.
Based on the procedure, having weight loss surgery with insurance will cost you between $3,500 to $18,722 and about $8,096 to $27,324 without insurance. If the above financing options do not seem financially feasible, consider borrowing money from your family and friends. They are, after all, the ones closest to you and they have seen you struggle with your weight, and the impact weight-related comorbidities have had on your overall well-being. Weight loss surgery is a lifetime investment in your health that you can’t afford to ignore any longer.
For further inquiries, contact Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana HMO through their official website https://www.bcbsla.com or call them using the numbers behind your ID card (1-800-495-2583) to get accurate costs on various medical procedures they might be providing cover for based on price and location.
