How Much Does Lap Band Surgery Cost?

Anybody who is thinking about lap band surgery will almost certainly have a long list of questions and fairly high up on that list will be the question of price. Sadly, though this might appear to be an easy question, it is not all that simple to answer.

The price of lap band surgery will depend upon several different factors but first you need to determine whether or not you qualify for surgery. Deciding that you need or want surgery is one thing but when it comes to meeting the cost of surgery whether or not you meet the requirements of the National Institutes of Health is an important factor.

Ordinarily, if you have a BMI of 40 or more you will meet the NIH requirements. You may also qualify if your BMI falls between 35 and 39 providing you are also suffering from a serious medical problem which is directly associated with your weight. The list of related conditions is lengthy but includes such things as diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

If you fail to meet the NHI requirements then you will need to pay the full cost of lap band surgery yourself.

The next thing you have to look at is whether or not your health insurance policy will pay for all or some of the cost of your surgery. It is frequently believed that insurance companies will not pay for weight loss surgery but this is not true and health insurance companies are increasingly funding either all or some of the cost of lap band surgery. Your insurer will however only fund the cost if you meet the criteria laid down by the NIH and your doctor certifies that your surgery is a medical necessity.

So, what is lap band surgery going to cost?

The price of lap band surgery is complicated as you have to take into account not merely the cost of the surgery itself but all of the associated costs which will vary considerably depending upon where your surgery is carried out and by whom. Fees will have to include such things as pre-surgical tests, fees for your surgeon and hospital fees. Additionally, there will be a number of post-operative fees for services like follow-up medical visits, psychological support and nutritional counseling.

If surgery is carried out in the United States then you may reasonably expect to pay from $17,000 to $30,000 for your surgery and follow-up treatment providing you do not encounter any complications. While major complications are rare they do crop up occasionally and costs can then rise considerably.

If surgery is carried out outside of the United States then the price will be lower and you may expect to pay between $11,000 and $16,000. Lap band procedures have been done for some considerably time in Europe and Australia where the results have been very good and is now being done increasingly in countries like Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India and the Far East.

Should you be contemplating traveling abroad for surgery then you must factor in the cost of travel and post-surgical recovery care which can considerably increase the overall cost but still be less expensive than having surgery at home. You will also have to check with your insurer if applicable as it is very unlikely that your insurer will meet the cost of any surgery that is performed abroad. Finally, you will have to take into consideration the fact that you might have very much less legal protection should anything go wrong with surgery away from your home country.

As a rule having your surgery at home is likely to be your best choice but if the difference in price is large enough in your particular case then you might well consider that it is worth taking the risk.

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