What is the cost of lap band surgery?

Anybody who is looking at lap band surgery will almost certainly have a list of questions.  One of the first will be, “how much will lap band surgery cost?”.

Sadly, though this might seem like a simple question, it is not quite so simple to answer.

The price of lap band surgery will depend upon many factors.   Lap Band prices and how to finance it is something that everyone considering the procedure needs to sit down and think about before the surgery.

The price of surgery is complex because you need to include not merely the price of the surgery itself but the associated costs which will vary widely according to where your surgery is carried out and by whom. Costs must include such things as pre-surgical tests, fees for your surgeon and hospital charges, anesthesia fees and much more. Additionally, there will be various post-surgery costs for services like follow-up medical visits, psychological support and nutritional counseling.

Surgery is done in the US then you could expect to pay anywhere between $17,000 and $30,000 for your surgery and post-operative care providing you do not encounter any complications. While significant complications are uncommon they do arise every now and again and the cost can then rise considerably.

Where surgery is done outside of the US then the cost will be lower and you could expect to pay between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band procedures have been carried out for some considerably time in both Europe and Australia where the results have been excellent and is now being carried out increasingly in countries like Brazil, India, Mexico, Canada and the Far East.

If you are thinking about going overseas for surgery then you must factor in the cost of travel and post-operative care which can add considerably to the overall cost but still be cheaper than undergoing surgery at home. You also need to check with your health insurance company if applicable because it is very unlikely that your insurer will fund the cost of surgery which is done overseas. Lastly, you must take into consideration the fact that you may well have considerably less legal protection should anything go wrong with surgery outside of your home country.

In most cases having your surgery in your home country will probably be your best and safest choice but if the difference in price is large enough in your particular case then you may well feel that it is worth the risk.  I would caution you to take this approach only after much thought.  In fact read our page on getting banded in Mexico or other locations.

You are probably wondering which insurance companies will pay for lap band.  Insurance coverage for lap band is becoming more standard in the last few years.  In fact, Medicare is also starting to pay for lap band procedures for people covered under their program.

Before going for Lap Band Surgery one should look for certified INAMED surgeon. You may get Lap Band Surgery done at cheaper rates but do not compromise with your health for money. Chose an experienced surgeon and good hospital because those who are providing Lap Band Surgery at cheaper rates may have surgeon with no or little experience and they may not have good facilities also. Before going to undergo Lap Band Surgery, first consider all the factors about the cost of Lap Band Surgery in mind and search well, so that you may not be ripped off or trapped into the attractive charges offered by them.

Will my insurance cover the cost of lap band?

Before covering your lap band you must meet the criteria set by the National Institutes of Health (NHI)

Ordinarily, if you have a body mass index of 40 or more you will meet the requirements of the NHI. You can also qualify if your BMI falls between 35 and 39 providing you are also suffering from a serious medical condition which is associated with your weight. The list of associated conditions is long but includes such things as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. In other words the typical ailments that go along with being overweight.

It is frequently thought that insurers will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not true and insurance companies are increasingly meeting either all or part of the cost of weight loss surgery. Having said this, your health insurance company will only meet the cost if you meet the criteria laid down by the NIH and if your doctor certifies that your surgery is a medical necessity.

If you meet the National Institute of Health requirements, it’s very likely that your insurer will require you to do a doctor supervised diet.

• In many cases you need to be on a the diet for six months.
• Sometimes the diet can be supervised by a dietitian or can be part of a program like Weight Watchers.

What if I can’t lose weight. Or what if I lose and the insurance company doesn’t want to pay?

I talked with the bariatric surgeons office and they informed me that it does not matter how much weight you lose, or if you lose any at all, one of the things the insurance companies are looking for whether or not you have kept your appointments and have gone every month like required.

On the other hand, what if you don’t meet the National Institutes of Health requirements?   If you fail to meet the criteria laid down by the NHI then you will have to pay the full cost of surgery yourself.  I know this is not what you wanted to hear, but it’s not the end of the world.  There are options available.  

When Medicare decided to offer aid to pay for gastric bypass, many other companies followed and began to do the same thing. Unfortunately, there are still people in today's society that are just not eligible to have Medicare or their insurance company help them with Lap Band financing.  Also check out our complete page on insurance coverage for lap band.

Financing Options to Help Pay for Lap Band Surgery

Elective Medical Lending.

Taking out a loan is another way to pay for lap band

There are many companies that are able to loan money to people who are undergoing elective medical surgeries. The companies that offer this type of service draft a financing plan that is able to fit the patient's budgets. Many of these companies are able to allow payments for as low as $100 each month. This amount of money each month is usually able to fit into the common man's budget. Some times after the Lap Band surgery, people find themselves paying just as much for medications and follow up doctor visits.
This financing is known as Elective Medical Lending
Elective Medical Lending is a loan to cover procedures not covered by insurance or for those without insurance. You can find sites online such as Elective Medica Lending that offer this service. Typically you fill out a form and submit it and you will hear back if you can be helped. If you qualify your loan documents will be sent to your doctor where you will sign them.

Some of the lenders that offer medical loans are:

• Care Credit
• APFUSA
• Captial One Healthcare Finance
• Medloan Finance
• Citerra Financial
• eFinancing Solutions
• Surgery Loans
• Credit Medical

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Read this for lap band questions or this for questions to ask your surgeon