Approximately two-thirds of all insurance policies will cover the gastric band surgery.  Health insurance can be extremely complicated and just because you and your neighbor both have "Aetna" does not mean that you both are covered for the procedure.  Since most health insurance policies are purchased by your employer, each employer may purchase a different package - your employer may elect Aetna with weight loss surgery coverage, while your neighbor's employer may elect Aetna without weight loss surgery coverage.  The first step to determining whether or not your insurance carrier will cover the procedure is to call the phone number on the back of your insurance card and ask whether or not your policy will cover the gastric band surgery.

As a general guideline, these patients will not be able to acquire coverage for a gastric band procedure and must elect our self payment plan: 

• Age >65
• Canadian patients (The Canadian government will not pay for the gastric banding procedure)
• Those patients whose insurance policies do not cover weight loss surgery

Those patients who elect the self payment plan need to undergo only those evaluations that are medically necessary, while those who elect the insurance payment option will need to undergo those evaluations that are required by their insurance carrier (like a psychiatric evaluation).