Bariatric surgery: Lowers heath care costs and treats diabetes

By April Clarkson, April 18th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

According to the results of a new study, bariatric surgery seems to be connected with lowered use of medications and lower health care costs for patients with type 2 diabetes.

The research of insurance claims information for more than 2,200 adults with type 2 diabetes who had bariatric surgery determined that, regardless of the $30,000 price tag for the operation and hospitalization, the surgery also saved money in the long run, Martin A. Makary, MD, of Johns Hopkins, and co-authors reported. The findings suggest insurance should cover the $30,000 hospital treatment, which the study’s authors say appears to be the only intervention that can result in a sustained reversal of both obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Following up just a year after the operation, over 80 percent of patients were no longer taking any of the diabetes medicines they had been on before the operations. Many patients were able to stop taking their medications almost immediately after surgery and before they’d lost large amounts of weight, backing theories that stomach hormones altered by surgery are better able to control blood glucose levels than weight loss alone.

Many insurance companies have a policy for bariatric surgery outlining the pre-surgical requisites, such as body mass index (BMI), access to nutritional and psychological help, and a time period where patients must enter in a organized weight loss program in preparation for surgery. Yet, bariatric surgery coverage is often provided as a “rider”, meaning that employers who choose to cover the weight loss intervention must pay more for each employee.