The Lap-Band is a procedure done for individuals that are seriously overweight and fall into the obese category based on their height and weight. With this procedure a small band is attached to the upper portion of the stomach, which fills up quickly when eating. When the stomach is full, the brain tells the body to stop eating. Depending the patient, the band may be tightened or loosened when needed. Before having the surgery though you must first qualify for it based on a number of criteria. If you still don’t qualify, you still have options.
Instructions
1. Ask your Medicare or Medicaid provider if they can’t help if you need assistance paying for the surgery. It isn’t covered under most private insurance companies unless you’re severely overweight, but in some cases Medicare can provide assistance.
2. Finance the payments for the surgery by using a credit card. Many people skip the surgery because they can’t afford to pay for everything at one time. If you have a good credit history, you may also be able to set up an installment plan with the surgeon.
3. Have the Lap-Band surgery done outside the United States. There are horror stories about people who had problems on a foreign operating table, but there are thousands of people who experienced no problems at all.
4. Learn what questions the doctor asks prior to the surgery and answer in a way that ensures you’ll qualify. You must have been overweight for at least five years and have tried to loose weight by dieting and exercising before a doctor will even consider you for Lap-Band surgery.
5. Gain more weight prior to seeing your doctor. Unless you’re at least 100 pounds overweight, the doctor won’t qualify you for a Lap-Band procedure. If you’re close to that amount, you might want to gain a few more pounds to get into the right category.
Tags: Lap-Band procedure, Lap-Band surgery