Gastric bypass surgery is a very cost effective way to loose weight. A BMI of 40 or more is a good indicator that you may be a candidate for a gastric bypass surgery. The cost of gastric bypass varies between different hospitals & locations. Mexico, Costa Rica & India gastric bypass price are about 50% less that the USA, even considering the money spent for the medical trip. The cost of gastric bypass surgery is usually higher compared to the other popular bariatric surgery, the lap band.

Unless it is medically necessary, insurance companies do not pay for a gastric bypass surgery. This trend may be changing with some insurance companies are beginning to see obesity as a serious health disorder and cause of other serious illness. For most patients, the gastric bypass cost is far outweighed by the advantages that the surgery can have. Some of the advantages of resulting weight loss from gastric bypass surgery are: reversal of life threatening diseases like type II diabetes, heart disease prevention and cancer risk reduction and psychological benefits.

Research shows that experienced surgeons and hospitals greatly reduce the risks associated with a gastric bypass surgery. The success of the surgery also depends upon post-operative changes in eating habits. Exercising regularly after the surgery is also recommended & helps patients lose weight more rapidly. Not following the doctors post operation instructions might result in no or very less benefits.

Majority of the gastric bypass surgeries nowadays are done via a minimally invasive technology (laparoscopic) that speeds recovery & reduces pain and scarring. In some cases a plastic surgery may be required due to droopy skin from the weight loss. The requirement for plastic surgery is known after a year or more after the gastric bypass surgery has been performed.

After a gastric bypass, about three fourth of the patients loose about 75% of their excess body weight. The surgery causes nutrient and calorie restriction that results in weight loss at a very rapid pace. The surgeon creates a small pouch that is attached to the small intestine thus bypassing the stomach.

Bariatric surgeries have been performed for decades in the United States and abroad. When diet, exercise, creams, pills and other non surgical methods fail, an increasing percent of people turn to bariatric surgery.

Gastric bypass surgery cost in the United States varies depending upon the experience of the doctor, location & complexity of the surgery. The average cost is 25,000 dollars, for a two hour surgery. The results are permanent & the patient can be back to work in about three to six weeks time after the operation. The gastric bypass cost in Mexico, Costa Rica & India is significantly less. Following are some price quotes.

• India US $9,800
• Mexico US $11,990
• Costa Rica US $11,500

Medical Tourism website has an exclusive section for bariatric surgery. In this section, you can visit the sub section on affordable cost of gastric bypass. This section provides details on the cost of bariatric gastric bypass surgery in different overseas locations.

This is the second of a ten article series that examines why health care & health insurance costs are higher in the United States.

Ever had medical procedure done in the USA? If yes, did you known what your real medical treatment bill was going to be? Did you know that even after the medical care was completed & you were discharged?

Chances are you did not, especially if you are insured by your employer! Don’t be embarrassed…

The US system of medical care is such that the patient in most cases does not know what the hospital or the doctors are being paid for providing the service. The patient usually only knows the co-payment or co-insurance amount. Depending upon the type of insurance plan, this amount could be just a fraction of the total amount, a fixed amount or maybe zero. This results in, that the end consumer (patient) does not have an incentive and many times does not have an option to be a “smart shopper” for medical care. This adds to increase the inefficiencies in the system and many times the patient ending up getting a medical service at an higher charging place in spite of there being more economical options.

For example, the charge for visiting the Emergency might be $200 & the charge for the regular physician visit may be $100 to the insurance company. Many people when deciding to visit one over the other don’t have the charge in mind (as they don’t know it or financially its the same for them). They visit what is more convenient to them. In such cases non-emergency patients also end up visiting the ER and inflating the charge for the insurance company.

Another example is the case where there are more cost effective treatment & surgery options available at overseas hospitals. At many international hospitals the cost are at 60 to 90% savings on USA costs. Insurance companies can reduce the medical cost to them by allowing patients the option of overseas medical treatment. This is by providing the patient first the option, then adding incentive to to visit overseas where there is more affordable medical treatment. With Medical Tourism becoming a global phenomenon this is a very viable option that insurance companies, especially self insured companies need to look into to reduce costs(and ultimately passing the savings to the consumers).

To summaries, smart insurance plans with smart options that would involve the end consumer is one of the things that can help in reducing health insurance & medical costs. Another thing that can be done along with it is, the education of the insured on the impact of their health care choices.

Hospital Clinica Biblica is the first hospital in Costa Rica to be accredited by JCI USA. Having a JCI accreditation, a hospital demonstrates high quality of patient care & also a desire for continuous improvement.

Costa Rica, a tourist heaven boasts, a peaceful democracy, very low crime rate, great weather year round & beautiful panorama of beaches, mountains, rain forest & more. There are more Americans living in Costa Rica per capita than any other country outside the USA. Flight to Costa Rica can take from about 3 to 8 hrs depending upon where one flies form in the USA.

Testimony to the high quality of the health care in this country is that it has one of the highest average life expectancy in the world of 78.7. The WHO ranks Costa Rica health system ahead of 154 other countries including USA.

Hospital Clinica Biblica has a long history of being one of the most premier medical institutions in America. The medical facility is located in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica. The hospital has active collaboration with Tulane University School of Medicine & Ochsner Health System in USA. The hospital boasts one of the best doctors in America, with many cutting edge medical procedures performed here. About 50% of the doctors here have a USA training experience.

It was impressive to know that the hospital monitors a number of quality indicators & their performance in these quality indicators is far better that the benchmarks in the USA.

The hospital is self contained for a patient & an accompanying guest. Hospital Clinica Biblica has its own pharmacy, cafeteria & eating shops, shopping area, bank, medical laboratories, doctor’s offices and other patient amenities all at the same location.

The hallways and the waiting areas are very well designed & furnished. There is free wireless internet in all the hospital area. Every floor also has an internet cafe that is free of charge.

The hospital has the latest medical equipment & technology. The patient suites are private & spacious with modern amenities like flat screen TV, phone, security box, wireless internet & more. The hospital has a dedicated staff for international patients that are available on call 24 hrs a day. The hospital also makes sure that there is English speaking nurse at each ward when there is an English speaking patient.

Hospital Clinica Biblica is the only private hospital in Costa Rica to have its own blood bank. As per the hospital management, the blood bank follows US blood bank standards & protocols.

The patient has a choice of beautiful private luxury “recovery centers” (special hotels with round the clock nurse) that the hospital uses for Medical Tourist’s post surgery recovery after discharge from the hospital. The patients also have the option of the physiotherapist visiting them, versus the patient traveling for physiotherapy.

Hospital Clinica Biblica has a number of patients from USA & Canada. They are attracted to the high quality, lower cost & no waiting lines for medical treatment. The hospital is a leading provider of Medical Tourism in Costa Rica.

Medical Tourism Corporation team hopes this report helps you in your journey to finding the right medical destination.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates affordable medical treatment at Hospital Clinica Biblica in Costa Rica and other world class international hospitals. Fill out the estimate request form on our site for a free quote and more information.

Most insurance companies in the USA pay for bariatric surgeries (weight loss or obesity surgery). But the process to obtain approval is a lengthy one & not all qualify due to it. The patient needs to establish a medical necessity. Following are the points they consider:

• BMI of 40 or higher and morbidly obesity. BMI is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height and is used as an indicator of body fatness to categorize obesity.

• Prove obesity as an issue for more than five years

• Have exhausted all serious efforts to reduce weight by non-surgical methods (pills, exercise, dieting, creams & location, special clothing etc).

• You have co-morbidities (Medical illnesses/diseases that are either caused by or contributed to by morbid obesity. For example, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and arthritis)

Along, with this the patient also needs to provide the insurance company data about their:

• Medical condition related to liver, kidney, or any gastrointestinal disease

• Thyroid Test Results

• Any history of alcohol or substance abuse

It makes business sense for health insurance companies to pay for weight loss surgery. There is a number of health risk associated with obesity that would cost the insurance companies more money if the bariatric surgery is not performed upfront. Health risks associated with obesity are heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gout, lower back pain, pregnancy complications, bladder control problems and cancer to name a few. Additions to this are psychological disorders like low self esteem, depression & eating disorders.

According to United States, government research report published in New York Times in 2004, obesity is near to overtaking smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States(tobacco related deaths are still number 1 with 18.1 percent). According to a November 2007 report by National Center for Health Statistics obesity rate in the United States was 34 percent (U.S. adults aged 20 and over). Obesity by them is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.

The stringent requirements that a patient has to meet for bariatric health insurance benefits, discourages many from being able to avail the weight loss surgery benefits of their health insurance plan(even if their insurance policy covers it).

A viable alternative that is being explored by many is for affordable overseas bariatric surgeries. These include common bariatric surgery like lap band, gastric bypass & gastric sleeve surgery. Popular destinations for US patients seeking cost effective bariatric surgery is Mexico & Costa Rica. Many surgeons at these overseas location have more experince than their US counterparts. Many times the total cost of surgery and travel expenses combined, is still less than the cost the patient would pay if the insurance paid its part of the medical insurance coverage.

For patients that do not have their insurance covering bariatric surgery in the USA, Medical Tourism Corporation helps with high quality bariatric surgery hospital & centers overseas. A page that has links to articles on weight loss (bariatric) surgery can also accessed for more information and knowledge.

A number of people from the United States visit Mexico for cost savings on lap band surgery. This type of bariatric surgery is safer & less invasive than other obesity control surgeries. It is also known as Adjustable gastric banding surgery. Although the number one surgery for weight loss in the USA is Gastric Bypass, lap band may sson have that spot. Lap band surgery started in USA in year 2001 after FDA approval, but gastric bypass has been going on for many years. This article addresses the important things to keep in mind when shopping for a lap band facility in Mexico.

First, yes the prices are lower, about 50~70% than the USA. But that should not be the only criteria when selecting a clinic or a hospital. The range could be from 6000 to 12000 US Dollars. A too less price should be avoided, as it indicates the facility does not have much business & does not do a quality job. There are very good chances that a 6000 US dollar clinic will have an incompetent or inexperienced surgeon as well.

Another, things to choose is between a hospital and a clinic (surgery center). A fully integrated hospital is a better choice. In rare cases if there is some unexpected medical emergency or surgical complication a hospital will be a better place than a stand alone clinic. Choose a hospital that has ICU, MRI, Blood Bank, X-Ray, Pharmacy, Cafeteria and doctor offices at the same location. On top of this, if the hospital in Mexico has boarding arrangements for an patient accompanying guest, its even better. The reputation & past record of the hospital is also important. The hospital staff should know English. It’s important to confirm this in advance, since Mexico is a Spanish speaking country.

Third and equally important is the experience & credentials of the surgeon. Look for how many successful surgeries they have performed. A surgeon who has performed about 100 surgeries is good, but one with 1000 surgeries experince will be an excellent choice. Are they medical board certified? Do they know English? If possible have your local doctor talk to them. Best is to look for INAMED certified surgeons or better INAMED proctors. INAMED is a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing obesity intervention products. FDA approved Lap Bands are made by them.

Other thing to consider is the geographic location. Tijuana in Mexico is very well suited for California & other western United States patients. Ciudad Juarez location is very well suitable for patients in Texas and the other southwest United States patients. Both cities have good hospitals & are drivable from many parts of the USA. Many hospitals doing lap band in Mexico have more patients from the USA than the local clientèle. You can view a video of Hospital Angeles, Juarez part of Grupo Angeles, the biggest hospital chain in Mexico, where about 70% of the lap band patients are from the USA.

Medical Tourism Corporation website has a section on Mexico lap band surgery & costs . This section has a lot of information that will help make a decision on choosing the right Lap band hospital in Mexico.