Financing and Insurance Information
We understand you will have questions about the cost of your weight loss surgery procedure. Our staff will work with you to determine if your health insurance plan covers bariatric surgery and understand any pre-surgery requirements for insurance approval. We want to help you make informed decisions about paying for surgery. Please note: Some insurers have elected to include weight loss surgery coverage, and some have not.
Do I have Insurance Coverage?
1. First of all we need to determine if you have insurance coverage that may cover all or part of your recommended treatments.
2. You should call your insurance company (there will be a phone number on the back of your insurance card) and ask: “Do I have coverage for weight loss surgery?” This will help you to know what your insurance will pay for, even before you come to see us for the first time.
Yes, I have Insurance Coverage!
Q. What will my insurance pay and what will I pay?
A. If you have coverage on your policy (about 80 % of our surgical patients have insurance coverage for most of the expenses related to weight loss surgery) your insurance will have certain guidelines or criteria you must meet to be approved to have bariatric (weight loss) surgery. Please ask them to supply you with the specific criteria for your plan.
Even when Insurances cover weight loss surgery, they may not pay for all expenses related to the surgery. Weight loss surgery in a multidisciplinary setting includes services that are not traditionally covered as medical care:
- Advocacy for the insurance pre-determination process
- Fitness/exercise training
- Dietary education
- Training about proper food preparation and the diet phases after surgery and their progression
- Bariatric coordinator call line availability
- Preoperative education class
- Twelve months of follow up with our professional multidisciplinary team
- BLIS reinsurance program
We have a full time employee to help you through the process of verifying your insurance benefits and finding out all the information you need to minimize any payment surprises.
No, I don’t have insurance coverage for weight loss surgery.
If you have an “exclusion” or do not have coverage for weight loss surgery, your insurance will not pay for your surgery. About 20% of our patients undergo surgery that they pay for out of their own pocket. If you have an “exclusion” your insurance will not pay for surgery even though you need it for serious medical conditions. At New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery, we have insurance coverage for bariatric pre-pay patients that covers the cost of most major complications should one occur. BLIS reinsurance is included in your surgical weight loss program. Please call the New Life Center office manager Ashley Ellis at (865) 694-9676 to learn more about this unique program!
At our free Bariatric Seminar, we will discuss any payment arrangements or financing that we currently have available. Because we partner with outside agencies for these options, they may change from time to time.
Package Pricing for Bariatric Pre-Pay Hospital Patients
We have been very fortunate to partner with area hospital systems so we can offer you a package price for bariatric surgery. This price includes the following for an uncomplicated case:
- Surgeon Fees
- The hospital stay
- Anesthesia
- For patients with adjustable gastric banding the first adjustment is included.
- Twelve months follow up with our multidisciplinary team
The following is a list of the hospital package prices by surgery:
- RNY Gastric Bypass $20,548.47
- Biliary Pancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch $25,141.19
- Gastric Sleeve $15,680.84
We look forward to helping you with every aspect of obtaining your weight loss surgery, including the financing of the procedure. Please remember: if you ever have any issue with our practice that you are having difficulty resolving, please contact our New Life Office Manager, Ashley directly at (865) 694-9676.
Self-pay Sleeve Gastrectomy Available at Premier Surgery Center – Starting at $12,850
If you are an appropriate candidate, the Sleeve Gastrectomy procedure can be performed at the outpatient Premier Surgery Center on Papermill Drive. The price starts at $12,850 and includes:
- Surgeon fees
- Facility fee
- Anesthesia
- Basic BLIS insurance coverage for complications
Expanded BLIS coverage is available for an additional $500. Dr. Williams and his team will determine if you are an appropriate candidate for outpatient bariataric surgery.
BLIS Information – Peace of Mind for the Self-Pay Patient
New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is proud to be affiliated with BLIS. Becoming a BLIS surgeon is a very selective process as determined exclusively by BLIS. This means that Dr. K. Robert Williams, Jr., M.D. has met very high standards of short term outcomes and long term patient success.
As a result of our approval by BLIS, we are able to participate in an innovative insurance coverage which allows us to make a commitment to our bariatric pre-pay patients that should a covered complication occur within certain time frames following surgery, our patients are not responsible for the costs associated with the care of that complication.
** The standard BLIS complication protection is exclusively part of the Package Price you will pay for your weight loss surgery. We are happy to provide this benefit to our patients and ease your mind and your wallet in this important decision to have a life-saving surgery.
**Other terms and conditions apply; please contact our office and see Self-Pay contract for further details about this program.
Financing Options
We are constantly working to bring you various payment arrangement methods. Most surgery related fees are not due until after you are approved by any applicable insurance. This insures that you will be having surgery before you make payments. Also, you can take advantage of the time in which you are preparing for surgery and meeting insurance guidelines to arrange payment or save for the expenses you will incur. As an additional benefit for Pre-Pay patients, the initial consultation will be free as we help you determine the best and most effective path to losing weight.