Medicare tackles obesity
Medicare said Tuesday that it will pay forthree forms of an expensive surgery to treat obesity, so long as thepatients are treated in “high-volume centers that achieve low mortalityrates.”The move comes after device makers, surgeons andsome patient advocates urged the agency to create a uniform nationalpolicy on bariatric surgery, which can cost $15,000 to $20,000 perprocedure. Previously, coverage decisions varied by region.
The impact will go beyond Medicare: Privateinsurers, which vary widely on whether they cover the surgery, oftenfollow Medicare’s lead. For example, when Medicare decided to coverorgan transplants, insurers began to pay for them.
Previously, Medicare officials said they wereconsidering limiting the surgery to those under age 65, for safetyreasons. But after reviewing new data, Medicare officials saidexperienced surgeons have similar outcomes for patients of all ages andthey will pay for the surgery for any age.