The cost of Adjustable Gastric Banding varies depending on where you live. The good news is that insurance providers (including Medicare and, in some states, Medicaid) cover the cost if your doctor establishes medical necessity and if you meet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) insurance requirements.

1. How Much Does Lap Band
Surgery Cost?

2. The cost of Adjustable Gastric Banding varies depending on
where you live. The good news is that insurance providers
(including Medicare and, in some states, Medicaid) cover the
cost if your doctor establishes medical necessity and if you
meet the National Institutes of Health (NIH) insurance
requirements.
The costs are comparable to most bariatric surgery costs and
the procedure requires a surgeon with expertise in the area
and some special equipment, just like other weight loss
procedures.

3. Hospital and Surgery Fees
Inpatient lap band surgery will cost more than the outpatient
procedure. As with any hospital procedure, facility costs are
involved. You will need to pay for a hospital room for your
stay before and after your operation. This fee includes care
from nurses and other technicians who will be needed to
monitor you before and after your procedure, and any pre-op
lab work or x-rays.

4. Hospital and Surgery Fees
Once the procedure is started, there's an anesthesia fee as
well the anesthesiologist's fee, a fee for the surgeon, and fees
for all equipment and supplies used during the surgery,
including the lap band cost itself. Once the surgery is
completed, you'll spend time in the recovery room where the
medical staff monitors you as you come out of anesthesia.
You'll be taken back to your hospital room once the staff is
sure there are no complications.

5. Hospital and Surgery Fees
Four to six weeks after surgery, the band will need to be
adjusted. This adjustment is usually factored into the cost.
These appointments are used to add more or less saline to
the band to either decrease or increase the amount of space
your stomach has to take in food.

6. Hospital anOther Costs to Considerd Surgery
Fees
Vitamin supplements are often used to replace the nutrients a
person might be lacking because of a modified diet during the
recovery period. It is also suggested that a person who has
gone through this procedure meet regularly with a
nutritionist to ensure the diet is as healthy as possible within
dietary boundaries. Depending on the doctor, these items
might be included in the initial fee quote, or they might be
considered extras and therefore not included in the overall
price.

7. Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Bariatric
Surgeon
─ What is the cost of Lap-Band surgery?
─ What does the cost include? Some bariatric surgeons will
quote one all-inclusive price, while others will quote the
surgery cost only and not take into account pre-op tests,
hospital charges, follow-up care and counseling
appointments.
─ Will my insurer cover all or part of the procedure?
─ Will my insurer cover any complications or re-operations
after Lap-Band surgery?
─ Do you offer patient financing plans to help with the cost?

8. Making the Decision
Choosing whether to have lap band surgery or another type
of bariatric surgery is something that should not be taken
lightly. Gastric banding is a life-altering procedure that
requires dedication on the part of the patient for it to be
successful. Patients without insurance should ensure they are
ready to take on the aftercare tasks.

9. Source: http://goarticles.com/article/How-Much-Does-Lap-
Band-Surgery-Cost/9144970/
Images: http://www.lapbandbrisbane.com.au/faq