Your extra milkshake and fries cost you more than you think. The cost of obesity is rising and can rack health bills up for you and your employer.

In fact, obese employees rack up health claims of $73.1 billion per year. They file twice the amount of claims as healthy employees.

So what are employers doing about that? They’re trying to reduce cost. Most health insurances now cover some form of weight loss program.

The level of coverage and care depends on your insurance and you can read all about weight loss programs covered by insurance below.

Insurance Covered Surgery

A bypass procedure costs up to $30,000 in healthcare costs alone. That’s not counting time missed off work during recovery.

Even that thirty thousand dollar procedure is cheaper over time than paying for one employee’s obesity.

If you’re looking for health insurance to cover surgery, you’ll need to prove a few things first.

Before you start this process, call your health insurance provider. Ask them if they cover gastric bypass and under what circumstances.

Proving Need

If they do provide surgical coverage, they’ll likely want proof you need surgery. This means getting a letter of recommendation from your general doctor.

They’ll need to see a letter stating how gastric bypass will help in your doctor’s medical opinion.

This letter lists things like your weight history, BMI, health conditions, and treatments. They’ll want to know how your obesity limits your daily activity and how losing weight can help.

Sometimes insurance companies are worried that you’ll see the surgery as a quick fix and not change your lifestyle habits.

Some ask for proof of gym memberships while others require you to see a medical nutritionist.

If they do approve the procedure, you’ll need to follow their rules carefully.

Weight Loss Programs

If you don’t need weight loss surgery, but still could lose weight, you can still get insurance money.

Now, big insurance companies like Aetna, Kaiser, and Cigna cover programs like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

Call your insurance company to find out what they cover. Even if they don’t cover it 100%, they may help you with a discount.

While you’re on the phone, ask if they have discounts set up for gyms in your area. Big insurance companies make deals with big gym companies to make working out more affordable.

Some programs even offer RealTime Medical Billing credits you can trade in for things like at home treadmills.

Weight Loss Programs Covered by Insurance: Just Ask!

It’s very likely your health insurance has some incentive program to keep you healthy. You might not know about it because you never thought to ask.

Don’t make that mistake again. Call and talk to an advisor about any weight loss programs covered by insurance.

At the very least, you could get a discount on a nice gym in your area. If you’re lucky, you could go under the knife for close-to-free.

The first step is to call and ask.

For more tips on weight loss, what to expect, and how to maintain, follow our blog. Together we’ll work towards a healthier you!