Insurance coverage varies greatly; read your policy carefully. Don’t rely on a verbal response over the phone from a company representative.

Many companies cover all of the surgical procedures as long as the patient satisfies the NIH criteria described above. Some companies cover only some of the procedures; for example, the gastric bypass and not the adjustable gastric band. Currently, very few insurance companies cover the gastric sleeve.

Many insurance policies cover one or more of the surgical procedures, but require candidates to satisfy additional criteria, such as participation in a six-month physician-supervised weight-loss program. Additionally, some companies claim they cover the procedures, but require the purchase of a rider exclusively for weight-loss surgery. Unfortunately, some insurance companies do not cover weight-loss surgery at all.

If you do receive a denial, carefully read the reasons for the denial. As long as surgery is a covered benefit of the candidate’s policy, there are avenues for appeal. Sometimes the denial is merely the result of insufficient documentation or can be reversed by submitting additional information.