Weight loss surgery is an effective way to lose weight, but what are the financial costs?
Bariatric surgery procedures such as a sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass can cure or prevent several obesity-related issues and diseases including obstructive sleep apnoea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Bariatric surgery can incur several costs, though the amount depends on several circumstances. Read on to discover more on what costs are involved in weight loss surgery, and what effect these may have on a patient.
How much does weight loss surgery cost?
The overall cost of bariatric surgery is dependent on a variety of factors, like any elective surgery procedure. The first cost that will need to be considered is the surgical procedure itself, which may differ depending on the severity of your obesity and which procedure is recommended as the best course for you. There are many types of bariatric surgery procedures available, each with their own set of risks, benefits, and costs. The range of procedures available include gastric bypass surgery, gastric sleeves, duodenal switches, and various combination surgeries such as SASI-S, SADI-S and SIBS.
The second cost to consider is one’s hospital stay, which can vary between 1 to 3 nights, depending on factors such as one’s weight, the surgical procedure itself and whether any complications arise during the procedure. Generally, medical procedures such as weight loss surgery are performed in private hospitals as opposed to public hospitals.
Out of pocket costs
The overall out of pocket cost of bariatric surgery is dependent on a variety of factors, like any elective surgery procedure. There are costs absorbed by a patient which vary depending on the surgical procedure received, as well as other factors such as your level of private health fund and Medicare cover, hospital fees and whether you or your family members are eligible to access superannuation to pay for the treatment.
The main costs of this form of surgery include hospital fees, anaesthetist fees and surgeon fees, and can start from $3,999 if one has private health insurance. Without private health cover, however, these costs can exceed $20,000 depending on your surgeon and the level of post-surgery care.
Additionally, the amount you will have to pay out of pocket depends on the level of health insurance you have. Generally, bariatric surgery requires a high level of health insurance cover, which usually means one requires Gold level cover to be eligible.
Dr Kevin Dolan in Perth offers a range of weight loss surgery packages, which you can learn more about here.
Finance options for weight loss surgery in Perth
Thankfully, there are various options available to finance weight loss surgery procedures with Dr Kevin Dolan such as ZipPay and in house interest free payment plans. You can learn more about the payment options Dr Dolan and the WALOS team provide here.
Save on bariatric surgery in Perth
Dr Kevin Dolan is a bariatric surgeon from Perth who offers eligible patients the chance to undergo obesity surgery at a discounted rate, through offering a service which reduces the amount of time patients stay in the hospital. It is just one way in which Dr Dolan and his team aim to assist you through your weight loss journey from start to finish. If you are considering weight loss surgery and want to learn more about Dr Dolan’s surgical costs and how he can help you, be sure to contact the WALOS team today and arrange a consultation.