Will blue cross blue shield pay for weight loss surgery

Does Blue Shield Cover Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

Yes, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California will cover your Gastric Sleeve Surgery as long as your insurance plan's requirements for bariatric surgery are met. Each Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield California insurance policy can vary on what weight management or bariatric and gastric surgery expenses are covered or excluded, so it may be easier to have our Gastric Sleeve Insurance Coordinators verify your Blue Cross or Blue Shield Gastric Sleeve Surgery coverage for you. Simply give us a call at 1-855-690-0559 or fill out our FREE Gastric Sleeve Insurance Verification Form. Verifying your Gastric Sleeve coverage is hassle-free with no obligation. Even if you don't meet your insurance policy's requirements, we can send a letter of medical necessity, request an individual need assessment and help you through the appeal process if necessary.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Gastric Sleeve Coverage

Every person is different, and so is each insurance plan; Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California’s Gastric Sleeve Coverage and pre-approval requirements vary with every insurance policy and potential patient. Per the most recent Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Clinical Bulletin SURG.0024, Gastric Sleeve is now covered and available for those individuals who qualify.

Part of determining if Blue Cross or Blue Shield cover your gastric sleeve surgery is determining you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 or greater, along with obtaining a written letter detailing all prior attempts at weight loss programs, including diet and exercise, over the last 5 years. This may be required by Blue Cross or Blue Shield prior to covering any bariatric procedure. A diet and psychiatric evaluation are also required by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in California. If your BMI is below 40, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will also consider all medical issues and problems related to your weight prior to authorizing coverage of your Gastric Sleeve Surgery. Depending on your Blue Shield or Blue Cross Gastric Sleeve Coverage, you may also be required to undergo 6 to 12 months of medically supervised, non-surgical attempts at weight reduction through nutrition, medication or maintenance therapy, behavior modification, exercise and increased activity.

It is also necessary for your physician requesting the coverage to fully explain the gastric sleeve surgery to you so that you completely understand the risks, benefits and how the procedure is performed. This also includes required dietary evaluations and nutritional counseling before and after your surgery to ensure maximum health and recovery.

You may automatically pre-qualify for Blue Cross or Blue Shield to cover your Gastric Sleeve Surgery in California if:

• You are 100 pounds or more above ideal weight, or
• You have a Body Mass Index above 40, or
• You have a Body Mass Index of 35 or greater and suffer from medical problems associated with obesity such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea or hypertension.
• You have been overweight for at least five years, and
• You have been unsuccessful at all weight-loss attempts including diets, exercise and weight loss programs.

Disclaimer: This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield and is for informational purposes only - The following Blue Cross and Blue Shield Gastric Sleeve guidelines have been compiled from various public sources. It is presented online for informational use only, and without warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. This site does not replace any official versions of the information presented, nor does inclusion on this list guarantee coverage. Please check your Blue Cross or Blue Shield policy before proceeding with your surgery.

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Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Requirements For Weight Loss Surgery

For persons with health coverage from Anthem Blue Cross Shield, you’ll be delighted to know that it will cover weight loss surgery.

Obesity Coverage feels very strongly that morbid obesity is a serious illness and that all insurance companies need to cover the life-saving techniques. The majority of the Blue Cross Blue Shield network has some kind of weight loss surgery coverage.

Bear in mind that employers have the option of opting-out of any weight loss surgery insurance coverage, which means employee health policies will not offer it. Opting-out will save the company money on premiums. However, even when a policy excludes the weight loss surgery, if BCBS can be shown these kinds of surgeries are medically important for one’s health, the exclusion can be appealed.

Important: Blue Cross of California is Anthem BCBS’ trade name, which means the criteria for the surgery will be the same.

Pre-Approval Requirements For Anthem BCBS

To be approved for the weight loss surgery, you must meet the minimum requirements:

• 40+ Body Mass Index (BMI)
• 35+ BMI with two conditions
• 18 years old or older
• Active partaking and certification of non-surgical weight loss techniques
• Letter from primary care physician
• Weight loss surgeon’s consult and recommendation
• Nutritional evaluation
• Psychological evaluation

8 Policies Included In Weight Loss Coverage

• Blue Cross California
• Blue Cross Georgia
• Blue Cross Kentucky
• Blue Cross Missouri
• Blue Cross New York Empire
• Blue Cross Ohio
• Blue Cross Virginia
• Blue Cross Wisconsin

What Are The Kinds Of Bariatric Surgeries Anthem BCBS Covers

Some large insurance companies have started covering gastric sleeves. However, this procedure is considered experimental and is not covered. The following surgeries are covered:

• Duodenal Switch
• Gastric Banding (Realize Band or Lap Band)
• Gastric Sleeves
• Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass
• Open Gastric Bypass Surgery

Will Anthem BCBS Cover Lap Band Fills

Anthem BCBS look at the Lap Band Fills as a medical necessity when it must be used to attain proper weight loss levels. For example, you had an modifiable gastric banding procedure that met every criteria for it. If cash paid for the weight loss procedure, the insurance will not cover continuous lap band fills.

3 Procedures Not Covered

• Banded vertical gastroplasty
• Mini-gastric bypass
• Any experimental weight loss technique

Will A Second Surgery Be Covered If Gastric Banding Fails (Revisions)

A second surgery can be paid for so long as any surgical weight loss procedure that didn’t cause an adequate amount of weight loss and was covered by insurance. However, the criteria below still need to be met:

1. The patient still meets the medical necessity criteria for the bariatric surgery
2. Documentation regarding the patient’s compliancy with the original post-operative exercise and dietary program
3. The weight loss is still no more than 50 percent of the pre-operative excess body weight and the patient is still not within 30 percent of the BMI after two years has passed after the first surgery.

A Look At Revisions

Revisions may be covered if documentation of a failure or a surgical complication such as obstruction, fistula or disruption of staple or suture line.

Must You Go To A Center of Excellence and In-Network Physician

The surgery must take place at a Center of Excellence. However, you do not have to use an in-network surgeon. But, the costs will be higher for you if you use an out of network doctor. They will also need to have privileges to perform the weight loss surgery at the accredited Center of Excellence.

You can contact Anthem’s customer service at 1-866-293-2892. You can also look on their website www.anthem.com for the email address and contact number.

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