Bariatric Surgery May Not Be Cost Effective

Many people believe that bariatric surgery is the most effective weight loss method. And because the FDA has lowered the BMI levels for the surgery, more obese people satisfy the guidelines. Up until the FDA's action, an individual's BMI had to be at least 35 before bariatric surgery was indicated. Now, the lower limit is 30, provided the obese person has specific health-related comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes.

Further, some studies show that bariatric surgery may resolve type 2 diabetes, and other ailments associated with obesity. And for some time, it was felt that the resolution could lead to a reduction in health care costs. However, this possible reduction in health care costs is becoming more doubtful.

Still, Cleveland Clinic recently started covering bariatric surgery for employees who have type 2 diabetes and a BMI of at least 30. The clinic believes that the surgery is a cost effective approach to treating obese persons with type 2 diabetes. Indeed, one of the clinic’s doctors said that "very few medical interventions have been proven to save money …but [bariatric surgery for type 2 diabetes] is an intervention that pays for itself.’

Nevertheless, some researchers suggest that bariatric surgery does not necessarily reduce  long term health care costs, because "hospital stays for complications from the procedure exceed savings from obesity-related illnesses..."

Using insurance claims for 29,820 bariatric surgical patients, the investigators compared the costs of the surgery for up to six years after the surgery with the costs experienced by a group with obesity-related conditions who didn't have the surgery. The investigators 'found no reduction in expenses to help recoup the $28,000 average cost of the initial surgery... The patients traded off the type of care they needed, with costs remaining stable at roughly $9,000 a year.'

Since bariatric surgery may not reduce health care costs, more emphasis should be placed on behavior modification using  good patient counseling, and extensive collaboration between bariatric surgeons and non surgical obesity experts. These efforts can allow the overweight or obese patient to lose weight and maintain the weight loss  in the most appropriate,  safe, and cost  effective manner.

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