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Weight reduction surgery proposal doesn’t get off ground

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, April 5, 2005

An act that would require insurance companies in Connecticut to cover obesity surgery deemed "necessary" died on March 24, 2005, in a state legislative committee.

The proposal would have required the companies to provide coverage for people with a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or more if a doctor determined the surgery was medically necessary.

Lawmakers had been struggling to define the conditions for medical necessity, according to the Associated Press. The surgery, which can cost between $20,000 and $35,000, involves limiting food intake by stapling a small pouch at the stomach's top from the rest of the stomach.

The procedure is also effective in helping to reduce weight because it sees food bypassing much of the small intestine to reduce absorption.

Connecticut is not alone in trying to pass a bill of this nature, according to the AP. Georgia is considering a similar bill to Connecticut's and Louisiana saw 40 state employees chosen last year for the covered procedure out of 1,200 applicants.

To view the bill, click here.

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