

Our comprehensive approach gives you all the support you need to be successful. We also base our recommendations on your willingness to commit to permanent lifestyle changes. We will only recommend weight loss surgery if it is a medically safe option for you.

Our primary focus is on your long-term well-being. At Baptist Health, we use a personalized approach to determine whether bariatric surgery is the answer to your weight loss needs. However, this treatment isn’t right for everyone. To contact Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, you can either log into their official website, use the telephone numbers on the back of your BCBSA ID card or call 1-88 for family and individual services.Bariatric surgery can help you overcome old habits so you can lose extra pounds and become a healthier you.

You or your doctor can write a letter of appeal to the insurance company to appeal, you must, however, provide documentation for all the criteria listed in the policy as well as those from your previous communications with your insurance company about the surgery. Not meeting the specified MBI criteria of either 40 and above or 35 or higher with one or more comorbid conditions.Surgery DenialĮven when a policy covers weight loss surgery for qualifying patients, some situations may lead to a denial such as: You will also be asked to sign a commitment form that requires to be on a medically supervised pre-operative diet as well as attend a support group before your surgery.
Blue cross weight loss surgery verification#
It is at this point that an insurance verification coverage process is conducted as well as pre-operative testing. If you are planning on having any of the above weight loss procedures and you meet the pre-approval requirements, you should schedule an initial meeting with your Bariatric surgeon of choice who will give you an overview of the process as he/she reviews your health history to confirm eligibility. Must not smoke eight weeks before surgery.Provide documentation to prove that they are diagnosed as morbidly obese, and they are unable to achieve a healthy body weight for a sustained period, even through medically supervised dieting.Patients must be above 18 years with a BMI of 40 and above or a BMI of 35 with or greater with co-morbid conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or severe obstructive sleep apnea.It requires abdominal incisions of up to ten inches for patients with extremely high BMI, those with certain health conditions that make laparoscopic surgery risky, or those with significant scar tissue from other abdominal medicine that may prevent access to the surgical area. Open Gastric Bypass Surgery – This procedure is rare and only performed under particular medical circumstances. Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass – This procedure is performed laparoscopically, an approach that is less invasive than open incision surgery, where the surgeon staples the top portion of the stomach to separate it from the bottom part to create a small stomach pouch that restricts food intake the number of calories and nutrients the body absorbs. The Lap-Band procedure also uses adjustable silicone band placed around the top part of the stomach to restrict the amount of food your stomach can hold. Gastric banding, Lap Banding and Realize Band – Gastric banding involve fitting an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach where the band restricts the amount of food and caloric intake, consequently allowing patients to lose up to 45% of their weight.ĭuring the Realize Band procedure, two devices are implanted during surgery, and the surgeon injects saline into the port to tighten or loosen the band based on weight loss goal and physical reactions to the operation. The following are three types of weight loss procedures that are covered by BCBS Alabama. Many who have sustained their weight loss through Bariatric surgery have reported a significant improvement in their overall health and lifestyle.īlue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama has helped individuals struggling with obesity who have tried various weight loss methods but haven’t been successful on their own. Weight loss is only one of the many health benefits of Bariatric surgery, but to consider the weight loss successful, patients must keep the weight off for a minimum of five years with the help of proper diet and regular exercise. Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBS) cover bariatric surgery? Learn about BCBS of Alabama’s requirements for weight-loss surgery.
