The incidence of obesity and morbid obesity among adults in the United States has continued to increase to epidemic proportions during the past 20 years. The adverse effects of obesity and obesity-related medical conditions have severely affected every aspect of our healthcare system. Multiple studies have now documented the effects of obesity, including greater mortality, increased hospital admissions and outpatient visits, decreased quality of life, and overall costs to the healthcare system that run to billions of dollars annually.
Bariatric surgery has now become widely accepted and scientifically proven as the most effective method for control of both morbid obesity and the obesity-related medical conditions that plague this population. These include diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea, and debilitating joint disease. For patients who meet the criteria for bariatric surgery established by the National Institute of Health, this procedure can be a life-altering and lifesaving intervention. However, as with many hospital-based therapies, a number of additional obstacles to access exist for patients who could clearly benefit from a bariatric procedure.
Read the entire article: http://www.asmbs.org/Newsite07/resources/Featured_article_6_1.pdf
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
NEW STUDY FINDS THOSE DENIED INSURANCE FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY
ASMBS - Weight Stayed the Same Over Three Years, But New Diseases Developed at Rapid Pace
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 24, 2010 – Patients who were denied bariatric surgery for insurance reasons developed a slew of new obesity-related diseases and conditions within three years of follow-up, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Researchers at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, compared the medical records of 587 patients who had laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB) with 189 patients who were medically eligible, but denied bariatric surgery by their insurance provider during the period 2001 to 2007. At the time of initial medical evaluation, patients in both groups had an average body mass index (BMI) of about 48. The goal of the research was to track the development of five obesity-related conditions in patients who were denied treatment and in patients who had bariatric surgery.
Read the entire article: http://www.asmbs.org/Newsite07/resources/2010_annual_meeting/access_to_care_insurance_denials.html
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 24, 2010 – Patients who were denied bariatric surgery for insurance reasons developed a slew of new obesity-related diseases and conditions within three years of follow-up, according to a new study presented here at the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Researchers at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin, compared the medical records of 587 patients who had laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGB) with 189 patients who were medically eligible, but denied bariatric surgery by their insurance provider during the period 2001 to 2007. At the time of initial medical evaluation, patients in both groups had an average body mass index (BMI) of about 48. The goal of the research was to track the development of five obesity-related conditions in patients who were denied treatment and in patients who had bariatric surgery.
Read the entire article: http://www.asmbs.org/Newsite07/resources/2010_annual_meeting/access_to_care_insurance_denials.html
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