Medicare to Cover Certain Obesity Surgeries Across U.S.

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Health-care officials applauded new federal regulations announced Tuesday that provide national standards for Medicare coverage of obesity surgery.

Previously, the rules concerning reimbursement for such operations, known as bariatric surgery, varied across the United States. But under the new regulations, a handful of gastric bypass and banding procedures will be covered throughout the country for the elderly and the disabled, said Dr. Steve Phurrough of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The agency had previously proposed excluding coverage of obesity surgery for the elderly and expanding it for the disabled. But the agency said it had reviewed new data and determined that experienced surgeons had similar outcomes for patients of all ages, including the elderly, and there was no reason to exclude them from the procedures.

Phurrough said he did not believe the new rules would have a major impact on how much the government spends on obesity surgery. Over the years, Medicare has paid for only about 300 such operations a year for senior citizens, compared with about 2,500 operations a year for the disabled.

“We don’t think there will be a huge rush of patients or surgeons wanting to do this in the older population,” Phurrough said.

On the Net:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: www.cms .hhs.gov