A:  In order to confirm whether you have coverage for bariatric surgery or not, you should call the customer service number on the back of your insurance card. Simply ask if you have coverage for bariatric surgery – do not give specific CPT or diagnosis codes.

If your insurance provider indicates that you have coverage “if it is deemed medically necessary,” this means that you have benefits for weight loss surgery. The insurance experts at our office will verify the specific benefits you have and will go over all of the specifics about your insurance coverage and the requirements for approval for surgery when you meet with us at your first consultation with your surgeon.

If your insurance provider indicates that you have an “exclusion” on your policy, this means that your employer has opted not to cover this benefit for employees. Unfortunately, if you have an exclusion, letters or appeals from our office will not change whether or not you have this benefit on your policy. Only your employer can make this change by choosing to cover bariatric surgery as a benefit to their employees.

If you have an exclusion, we recommend that you to speak with your human resources director and ask if there may be plans to cover this benefit in the coming year. We have had several patients in our program convince their employers that the benefits of weight loss surgery – including getting off of their expensive medications rather quickly, missing less time off from work due to related conditions and illnesses, and generally being more productive due to a more positive outlook on life – outweighed the cost to cover the benefit, and they were successful in gaining coverage.

Q:  How much does the surgery cost if my insurance will not pay for it?
A:  Because we believe it’s important to use your insurance benefits if you have them, the first step is to allow our insurance specialists to verify your specific benefits. They have extensive knowledge and expertise with bariatric insurance verification, pre-certification, and approval. Upon attending an upcoming free seminar or viewing a webinar, we will verify your benefits and will be happy to speak with you about the options available if you do not have coverage for weight loss surgery.

Because cost variables exist with each procedure and with each hospital where we perform surgery, we are unable to give out specific pricing until we have seen you in our office and you and your surgeon determine the type of surgery that’s right for you. Surgeries range approximately anywhere between $12,000 and $23,000, depending on the procedure.  Keep in mind that this includes the surgeon fee, hospital fee, all operating room time, nursing staff, supplies, instruments, medications, your pre-op bloodwork, EKG and chest x-ray, as well as anesthesia, your anesthesia team, surgical first assistant, your nutrition consultation, and your vitamins, minerals and protein shakes you'll receive at your pre-op appointment.  Also included is your entire year of follow-up appointments as well as a 90-day complication protection program for major complications.  Complications are rare, but they can happen. We believe it's important to provide our patients who do to have insurance coverage for bariatrics the peace of mind in knowing that should a major complication arise within the first 90 days, you'll be covered at 100%.  We will discuss the BLIS Complication Protection Program in more details with you during your iniitial consultation.

Q:  I have no health insurance coverage and want to know the cost of the procedure. Can you tell me how much it costs if I pay for my weight loss surgery myself?
A:  We have a strong relationship with ChaseHealthAdvance, a program whose sole purpose is to improve access to surgery for bariatric patients. If you do not have insurance benefits and are interested in paying for your weight loss surgery, you can apply online for a loan. When you are in our office for your consultation, we will discuss the cost of the procedure that is right for you. Cost varies slightly by hospital location and on the procedure you will undergo.  ChaseHealthAdvance approves loans up to $20,000.

Our ChaseHealthAdvance program will allow you to make monthly payments so that you can pay for your weight loss surgery over time. This makes having the surgery you need easy to obtain.

Q:  What are the Program's features?
A:  ChaseHealthAdvance has many features such as:
* Credit lines from $5,000-$20,000 dependent on approval and credit history
* Revolving lines of credit that can be used throughout the weight loss surgery journey (for example, you can pay down your credit line after bariatric surgery and use it again for plastic surgery down the road)
* Affordable monthly payment plans for 24-48 months
* Instant credit decisions with assistance from Patient Advisors
* Ability to disburse payments to more than one provider (i.e., surgeon, hospital and anesthesiology group)

Q:  What are the Program's Benefits?
A:  There are many benefits, including:
* ChaseHealthAdvance offers a quick and efficient process -- full service patient intake, credit application processing, and funding for you, our patient
* Attractive loan options based on your credit history and desired payment options
* ChaseHealthAdvance can help eliminate the cost barriers associated with typical medical loans, with the ability to offer more products suited to your needs

Q:  What are the program's loan approval results?
A:  ChaseHealthAdvance has funded over $1,000,000 in patient loans since its inception. This translates into more loan approvals for our patients, allowing you greater access to surgical treatment for morbid obesity.

Q:  If I use ChaseHealthAdvance to obtain a surgical loan, what will my monthly payment be?
A:  Your monthly payment will be determined by several factors, including the amount of your loan, the term of the loan (how many months you will pay), and your interest rate.

To get started with ChaseHealthAdvance surgery financing, CLICK HERE or call 888-519-6111.  You will need to provide them with the following information:  Practice ID #70675 and Pamphlet ID# 0102011.

Q:  What does it mean that The Davis Clinic surgeons are all BLISCare Surgeons?
A:  Only the BLIS Surgeon^sm is able to provide their self-pay patients with financial peace of mind. We understand that as a self-pay patient, should a complication occur, this could be potentially devastating to you financially.  While complications are rare, there is always the possibility that a complication could occur, so we've included BLISCare as part of all of our self-pay patient experiences. In order to qualify to become a 'BLIS Surgeon,' physicians must demonstrate a high degree of education, training, experience and commitment to bariatric surgery. Each BLIS Surgeon is a 'Center of Excellence' eligible bariatric surgeon with a proven record of successful bariatric surgical outcomes. In addition, they are required to be part of a comprehensive bariatric program.  BLIS evaluates each surgeon on his or her surgical outcomes and complication rates using a unique and proprietary dataset exclusive to BLIS.

In order to become part of BLIS, we have expressed a clear desire to provide the best care for our patients and have customized our BLISCare plan to meet the specific needs of our patients. As BLIS Surgeons, we have obtained BLISCare in order to help protect you from the potentially devasting financial impact of a post-surgical complication.  We do so knowing no matter how good our outcomes have been, there is always the slight chance that a complication event could occur. Knowing financial protection is in place for our self-pay patients, should it be needed, provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones. Our BLISCare programs come with a 60-day minimum complication coverage period with longer coverage periods available. As a self-pay patient, we will speak with you about the specifics of BLISCare during your initial consultation.

Q:  If I pay for surgery myself, are there any tax deduction benefits?
A:  In the year you finance or pay cash for your bariatric (weight loss) surgery, you may be eligible to receive money back in potential tax savings. IRS Publication 502 states you can deduct your medical and dental expenses when they total more than 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income (see IRS publication 502, page 2—http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p502.pdf). 
 
Although the processes of calculating tax deductions are by no means precise and can be quite complex, you may be able to deduct a portion of your medical expenses, including the costs associated with your weight loss surgery. The deduction is designed so that your taxable income is reduced to the extent your medical expenses exceed a percentage of your adjusted gross income. Many non-reimbursed medical expenses, including bariatric surgery, medications, and other medical services exceeding 7.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income, are tax deductible. See the list below for just some of the examples of potential tax savings. Be sure each medical expense you consider as a deduction meets the IRS requirements of a tax deduction. Common medical expenses that are not deductible include most cosmetic surgery, nutritional supplements, non-prescription drugs, and teeth-whitening expenses.

The rules for tax deductions for medical expenses are established by the Internal Revenue Service and explained in Publication 502. For additional information, visit www.irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040 to reach the Internal Revenue Service. Always speak with your tax advisor regarding tax issues.

Remember, tax and financial circumstances are different for each person and the laws are constantly changing. This information should be not be considered financial advice or used as a substitute for the advice of an accountant or tax advisor. You should seek financial advice from a professional for any questions about medical tax deductions that you may have.

To maximize the Medical Expenses Tax Deduction on your personal tax return, be sure to include the following expenses:

•  All medical expenses, including most dental expenses, for everyone listed on your tax return (your spouse and dependents)
•  Costs of medically supervised weight loss programs (but not the cost of low-calorie food). To justify the deduction, your doctor must recommend participation in a weight loss program to reduce health risks.
•  Insurance payments paid with taxed income
•  Uninsured medical expenses including eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids
•  Prescription drug costs not covered by insurance, and co-payments for medications covered by insurance
•  Travel expenses to and from medical treatments, calculated by using standard mileage rates, set each year by the IRS (14 cents per mile in 2004, 15 cents per mile in 2005, 20 cents per mile in 2007, and 19 cents per mile in 2008)¹
•  Medically necessary costs prescribed by physicians
•  The cost for corrective eye surgery

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¹ Mileage deduction is based on information acquired at www.irs.gov in July 2009. This amount is subject to change annually.