How To Get Gastric Bypass Surgery For Free

Cost & Financing

Free Weight Loss Surgical Procedures – Are They Possible?

Jeffrey A. Quinlan

Last Updated:

08/12/2021

Free weight loss surgery does exist, but only through weight loss surgery grants or charity care.

If you are not able to get either, there are several options available to make surgery more affordable.

Review the information below and click each section for more details.

Click on any of the topics below to jump directly to that section

Grants
Charity
Financing Options

01.

Weight Loss Surgery Grants

SECTION SUMMARY:

Weight loss surgery grants are available through the WLSFA

Surgery grants help those who cannot afford surgery by funding all or part of the treatment costs. Currently, the only grant available specifically for weight loss surgery comes from the Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America (WLSFA).

The WLSFA raises funds to grant people who need help obtaining weight loss surgery or post weight loss reconstructive plastic surgery. Grant recipients must work towards helping others by donating time and resources back to the WLSFA.

You must meet three requirements in order to be considered for a grant from the WLSFA:

You must have been approved for weight loss or reconstructive surgery
You must either have no insurance, been denied coverage for surgery by your insurance carrier or have insurance that won't cover all of the costs
You must be willing to be part of the grant process and be willing to help raise 10% of the funds you are requesting

To learn more and to apply for the grant, see the WLSFA's web site.

SECTION SUMMARY:

Charity care may pay for weight loss surgery for qualifying patients

If you are within a certain range of the federal poverty level and don't have insurance, you may be able to qualify for weight loss surgery charity care from a hospital in your area. For instance, some hospitals provide free health care to people with household incomes up to three times the federal poverty level.

In addition to meeting income requirements, hospital charity care requires the surgery to be medically necessary (not cosmetic).

To determine whether you are eligible, you will typically need to complete a financial application which may include proof of income and other personal information. In addition, the hospital will likely require the referring doctor to be part of their staff.

If you choose to explore this route, keep in mind that your referring doctor may not be up-to-date on the benefits of bariatric surgery and could take some convincing. If your doctors are reluctant to refer you, share the following studies with them…

Pennington Biomedical Research Center – Weight Loss Surgery Extends Lifespan
Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine – A Comprehensive Exam of Co-morbidities in an Employed Population
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine – Risks and Benefits of Bariatric Surgery: Current Evidence
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – Obesity in Adults – Review this entire page and include studies that will support your case. There are many studies relating to specific populations – if it applies to you, include it. There are also several impactful general studies.

If your financial application for charity care is denied, don't give up right away. Many hospitals will still work with you, based on the information you submit, to come up with a reduced payment.

To find out which hospitals in your area offer charity care, go to their web sites and search for "charity care." If you can't find their policies listed online, call them directly to get the details.

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