Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Why Patients Seek Bariatric Surgery: Does Insurance Coverage Matter?

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Obesity Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite increasing prevalence of bariatric surgery, little is known about why patients seek out this treatment option. Heads Up is an observational study sponsored by a large benefits management group that examines surgical and nonsurgical approaches to weight management in obese adults. This study examined patients’ reasons for choosing surgery. The sample included 360 adult obese patients seeking bariatric surgery who were invited to volunteer for a surgical or a medical weight loss program by their insurer. Participants rank ordered their top three reasons as a deciding factor for choosing to consider surgery. The top three reasons were concerns regarding health (52 %), current obesity-related medical conditions (28 %), and improved physical fitness (5 %). Overall, 13 % endorsed insurance coverage as one of their top three choices. When insurance coverage is assured, health and functionality issues were the major reasons reported for obese adults choosing to undergo bariatric surgery.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, et al. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3):235–41. PMID: 20071471.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Visscher TLS, Seidell JC. The public health impact of obesity. Annu Rev Public Health. 2001;22:355–75. PMID: 18464753.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Buchwald H, Oien DM. Metabolic/bariatric surgery worldwide. Obes Surg. 2013;19:1605–11. PMID: 23338049.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gaede P, Vedel P, Larsen N, et al. Multifactorial intervention and cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:383–93. PMID: 12556541.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gaede P, Lund-Anderson H, Parving H-H, et al. Effect of a multifactorial intervention on mortality in type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:580–91. PMID: 16371630.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Mingrone G, Panunzi S, De Gaetano A, et al. Bariatric surgery versus conventional medical therapy for type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(17):1577–85. PMID: 22449317.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Schauer PR, Kashyap SR, Wolski K, et al. Bariatric surgery versus intensive medical therapy in obese patients with diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2012;366(17):1567–76. PMID: 22449319.

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults—the evidence report. Obes Res. 1998;6(Supp2):51S–209. PUBID: 9813653.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Picot J, Jones J, Colquitt JL, et al. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bariatric (weight loss) surgery for obesity: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technol Assess 2009; 13(41). PUBID: 19726018.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Libeton M, Dixon JB, Laurie C, et al. Patient motivation for bariatric surgery: characteristics and impact on outcomes. Obes Surg. 2004;14:392–8. PMID: 15072662.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Munoz DJ, Lal M, Chen EY, et al. Why patients seek bariatric surgery: a qualitative and quantitative analysis of patient motivation. Obes Surg. 2007;17:1487–91. PMID: 1829776.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lynch CS, Chang JC, Ford AF, et al. Obese African-American women’s perspectives on weight loss and bariatric surgery. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22:908–14. PMID: 17447097.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Wee CC, Jones DB, Davis RB, et al. Understanding patients’ value of weight loss and expectations for bariatric surgery. Obes Surg. 2006;16:496–500. PMID: 16608617.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pollack A. A.M.A. recognizes obesity as a disease. The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com.

  15. TOS Obesity as a Disease Writing Group. Obesity as a disease: a white paper on evidence and arguments commissioned by the Council of the Obesity Society. Obesity. 2008;16:1161–77. PMID: 18464753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of Interest

All the authors have no potential conflicts of interest and no disclosures to report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808-4124, USA

    Phillip J. Brantley, Krystal Waldo, Molly R. Matthews-Ewald, Ricky Brock, Catherine M. Champagne, Tim Church, Melissa N. Harris, Valerie H. Myers & Donna H. Ryan

  2. Baton Rouge General Internal Medicine Residency Program, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Melanie McKnight

  3. Office of Group Benefits, State of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

    Tipton McKnight

Authors
  1. Phillip J. Brantley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Krystal Waldo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Molly R. Matthews-Ewald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ricky Brock
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Catherine M. Champagne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Tim Church
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Melissa N. Harris
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Tipton McKnight
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Melanie McKnight
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Valerie H. Myers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Donna H. Ryan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Phillip J. Brantley.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brantley, P.J., Waldo, K., Matthews-Ewald, M.R. et al. Why Patients Seek Bariatric Surgery: Does Insurance Coverage Matter?. OBES SURG 24, 961–964 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1237-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-014-1237-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation