If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Lap band surgery has become one of the foremost procedures currently used in a effort to control weight problems. This is by no means easy, and is not designed for people only needing to loose a few pounds. There are strict requirements for those who wish to become a candidate for lap band surgery and need to have their insurance company pay for all or part of the cost. To safeguard the general public from attempting drastic measures, these requirements were developed by the NHI, National Institutes for Health in the 1990’s.

There are significant risks to lap band surgery like any other abdominal surgery and it is not to be taken lightly. When a person fulfills the criteria set for such a procedure the advantages are considered as more important than the risks involved.

The requirements for a candidate for lap band surgery are a BMI (body mass index) of at least 35-39. This is a category of morbid obesity that is dangerous to many aspects of health.

There are other considerations when you start thinking about lap band surgery as the way to solve your problem. You must also have obesity related health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or cholesterol problems, if your BMI is between 35 and 39. Other health conditions are not needed to justify having this surgery if the patient’s BMI is above 40.

Lap band surgery is an expensive procedure and the above requirements are used by insurance companies who will pay for weight loss surgery under certain circumstances in order to determine whether or not to pay for the procedure. Some insurance companies will, by their terms of service, refuse to pay for any weight loss surgery regardless of compliance to the NHI standards. If you do not meet the above requirements it is still possible to obtain the surgery if you choose to pay for it yourself.

Deciding to go it alone and pay for the procedure out of your own pocket is a huge decision. The NHI standards were formulated to ascertain genuine medical need. With major surgery you must meet criteria otherwise the dangers outweigh benefits.