Medicare likely to pay for some weight loss surgeries s

February 22, 2006

Under the U.S. Medicare health insurance plan the elderly obese or disabled obese patients will be eligible for a variety of surgical weight-loss procedures. The plan will cover those patients who must have tried and failed other weight loss options and have at least one weight-related medical problem and have a high body mass index.

Previously, Medicare patients could only receive gastric bypass surgery in which the lower part of the stomach is either closed off or removed and its contents detoured around the large intestine directly to the small intestine. But the final ruling opens the door to laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding that squeezes the stomach smaller with a small band.

Apart from obesity surgeries, weight loss can be attained with the help of diet pills. Phentermine and other diet pills have made weight loss a reality for millions of its users.

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