Excess weight, in particular obesity, is a risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. It can also make it more difficult to control chronic conditions.1 On top of the cost to your health, overweight and obesity can have a major financial impact on an individual.
The cost of a gastric banding procedure can often be an important decision factor for those considering it. But a recent study shows that the cost of a gastric banding procedure is offset by reductions in medical costs associated with obesity. In this study, the obesity-related medical costs of obese patients who didn’t have a gastric banding procedure continued to rise whereas for those who did have surgery medical costs declined.
Importantly, the gastric banding patients, within four years all patients had broken even financially and patients with diabetes broke even financially in 2.25 years. The study looked at healthcare claims data from over 7,000 patients who had undergone gastric banding compared with claims from a similar number of surgery-eligible people who did not have surgery. The results emphasise the important effect gastric banding can have on keeping healthcare costs down.2
So, although there is an initial financial outlay for a gastric banding procedure, the benefits in terms of reduction in healthcare costs can be significant within a relatively short period, meaning it may be a cost effective option for weight loss in eligible candidates.
To find out more about how you could benefit from a gastric banding procedure, please call one of our team members on 02 9553 1120 or drop us an email to info@uppergisurgery.com.au
These studies really only confirm what we already know. The only ones unable to see the obvious financial benefit are those who profit from the misfortune created by morbid obesity! Better health, such as a cure for diabetes; reduced medication costs for things like asthma, high cholesterol, arthritis and heart disease; greatly reduced demand for joint replacement surgery; lower rates of certain types of cancer; reduced psychological illness rates such as depression; reduction in injuries from slips, trips and falls, and reduced demand for our already challenged public hospital system. It is not that difficult to see the clear financial gain. if the authorities genuinely wanted to address obesity, a surgical treatment exists that is far more economical than one hip/knee replacement. The real problem is that morbid obesity is not a popular topic. Society in general discriminates against those with morbid obesity with an assumption that it is always self inflicted, so we are supposed to suffer as our punishment. However if we suffered from anorexia we are entitled to treatment and admission in any public hospital. Or if we smoke and develop cancer, no public hospital turns you away. Those, like me, who have been privileged to receive care and treatment by Michael and the team at Upper GI, are just so lucky to have stumbled across professionals willing to keep hitting their heads against a wall for those without private health insurance (I am sure that’s why Michael is bald!!). Private funds also benefit immensely through less demand for private hospital services. For the first time in my life I have not required hospitalisation for life threatening asthma in the past 12 months time period. I have no diabetes, require no arthritic medication, no longer have GORD, don’t require a knee replacement and am fitter than when I was many years ago at 18. Who best can convey the cost advantages? How many pre and post bariatric surgery patients have been actually surveyed and spoken to? How can anyone argue that the benefits don’t outweigh the cost?? They clearly didn’t do too well at Maths…
As a continuation to the above discussion, the federal government announced a $1billion increase in funding for diabetes equipment, drugs and education yesterday as part of Diabetes Week 2011!! That is one big bucket of money!
The barrow that is being pushed is that Type 2 Diabetes cannot be cured and that its rate of increase will surpass most other chronic health conditions. My poor little calculator hasn’t got enough zero’s but that amount of money would go along way to providing bariatric surgery and lifelong after care for an awful lot of people, curing their diabetes, plus educating GP’s on how to manage obesity and support bariatric surgery particularly in regional Australia.
It really isn’t that difficult for our government pen pushers to see, however just maybe, if you can excuse the cynicism, drug companies producing diabetes medications have a very large stake in this decision. It is much the same scenario for asthma, rather than educate and prevent, treat & prescribe! They are also linked…post bariatric surgery and massive weight loss sees asthma frequency and medication rates fall – all of which also save money and impact on our health system.The more patients who have successful bariatric surgery outcomes talk about their journey the wider the message gets spread.