CMS Will Not Cover Weight-Loss Surgeries for Non-Obese Diabetes Patients
CMS on Monday said that it will not cover weight-loss surgery for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes who are not dangerously overweight because there is not ample evidence proving the procedure can improve their health, Reuters/Yahoo! News reports. Currently, Medicare and private insurers cover weight-loss surgeries, which range in cost from $15,000 to $35,000, for severely obese people.After a small study released earlier this year found that such surgeries could completely reverse type 2 diabetes, the agency decided to conduct its own review of available data. According to a proposal, the agency found no "convincing medical evidence that bariatric surgery improved health outcomes for non-morbidly obese individuals."
CMS said it will review public comments before making a final ruling, which is likely to influence policies set by private insurers (Heavey, Reuters/Yahoo! News, 11/17). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
