Free Weight Loss Surgery For Low-Income 2024
Get today’s free weight loss surgery grant from the government, as several organizations provide weight loss surgery for low-income people. Today, 40% of the world’s population suffers from weight problems. And if you are looking for grants that provide weight loss surgery for low-income people, then you are not the only one. Who doesn’t want to look good? Of course, everyone. Apart from government-funded weight loss surgery, if you want to get rid of those extra pounds of fat naturally, it takes years plus hard work. Here, we discuss further weight loss surgery grants.
Now, if you don’t have much time to follow diets for several years, you may undergo weight loss surgery. But as we know, surgeries are not so easy to get. You have to spend money well; if you are financially fit for weight loss surgery, you may go for it. But if you are low-income, you won’t be able to afford it. However, several organizations provide free weight loss surgery for low-income. In this article, we discuss in brief government-funded weight loss surgery grants.
How Does Weight Loss Surgery For Low-Income Work?
WLSFA, i.e., Weight Loss Surgery Foundation of America. It provides weight loss surgery grants for people who direly need it. Especially those people who need it due to medical reasons. These weight loss surgeries for low-income people are also available through charitable organizations. Several organizations have recently begun where patients can get Government-funded weight loss surgery.
They collect funds from several different sources and then prepare free weight loss surgery grants for people who can’t afford expensive surgery. However, organizations that provide free weight loss surgery grants have limited resources. Due to that, candidates have fulfilled some requirement or eligibility that is set by the authorities.
So before applying to any organizations, verify whether you are eligible for weight loss surgery for low-income grants or not. In case if you are eligible, then do attach the required documents with your application form. Do apply with a complete application with true information because a complete application has a high chance of getting selected for weight loss surgery grants.
Organizations offering weight loss surgery for low-income people aim to provide the proper aid for those who need it. If you are a person who can manage the cost of surgery treatment, then you should not apply for the grant. Leave that grant to needy ones who need it. Below are some types of surgeries you can expect to pay for without coverage.
- Gastric sleeve surgery: This surgery may cost you without coverage roughly between $17,000 to $26,000.
- Gastric bypass surgery: Without insurance, this surgery may cost you an average of $24,000.
- BPD/DS: BPD/DS stands for Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. It may cost you between $20,000 to $25,000.
- Lap-band surgery: this surgery may cost you without coverage $8,800 to $22,500.
04 Top Ways To Get Help With Weight Loss Surgery Grants
As we know, bariatric surgery costs can be high even with insurance. Thousands of people are looking for ways to get the costs covered. Do not let costs stand between you and your healthy life. There are several ways to get bariatric surgery for free or at a low cost. You need to get enough knowledge about such sources to get weight loss surgery grants. Now, let’s discuss some top ways to get help with weight loss surgery grants. Read along.
Government-Funded Weight Loss Surgery
The United States federal government helps pay for weight loss surgery for low-income qualified patients under the Medicaid and Medicare programs. However, Medicare and Medicaid both programs have eligibility. People who want to get their free weight loss surgery grant can proceed with the application process. But do verify first whether you are eligible for the government-funded weight loss surgery or not. Besides Medicaid and medicare, there are other non-profit organizations too that provide help with financial assistance for bariatric surgery.
If you want to avail government-funded weight loss surgery, then do get the knowledge first. After that, if any program fulfills your requirement, apply with an application. You can also get free weight loss surgery grant information from local agencies. Additionally, application programs require some document verification. You should apply with every document they require because a complete application has more chances of getting selected than incomplete applications.
Charity Support
Numerous charitable organizations provide weight loss surgery grants. Charity care is an unlikely source of free gastric bypass surgery or lap band treatment. It is another government-funded weight loss surgery. It strives to help patients without insurance who cannot afford treatment for acute medical conditions.
Low-income people can avail of charity support from the nearby hospitals. For that, candidates must submit the legally required documents to get government-funded weight loss surgery. You need to submit a financial application and submit it at your nearby hospitals. Where the hospital will ask you for the referring doctor’s name, the charity care program may differ from hospital to hospital. In case your application gets rejected, you can apply at another hospital.
However, acute medical conditions happen suddenly and last for a short period but require quick attention. Morbid obesity is the opposite. This chronic condition develops slowly over the years or decades. But charity care is not a good alternative to free weight loss surgery grants. If you have the luxury of time to enroll in Medicaid and other private health insurance, then go for it.
Free Clinical Trials
To get weight loss surgery for low-income some clinics provide free trials. This can help just a handful of morbidly obese people every year. Clinical trials recruit patients who need free weight loss surgery grants with narrow criteria. People who are only willing to undergo an experimental treatment can go for clinical trials.
In exchange for acting like a test subject, the doctors will provide you pro bono services without insurance. However, finding free clinical trials that match your exact medical condition, exercise regimens, previous dieting, and geographic area is challenging. If you find any free clinical trials that match your health condition, get all possible information about them. And if it seems perfect for you then go for the procedure.
Financial Options
The financial option is the last one to get weight loss surgery grants. Ask your friends and relatives who can raise the required funds for your weight loss surgery. After getting the required financial help from your relatives and friends you can pay them back in easy installments. Additionally, you can also borrow a loan from the financing services for weight loss surgery. Here you can deduct the surgery cost while filing the income tax.
The cost of weight loss surgery cost is very high and is not affordable for familiar low-income people. And to get weight loss surgery is important because those extra pounds of fat can lead to threatening diseases like diabetes, heart-related diseases, high blood pressure, and more.
Government Funded Weight Loss Surgery
As discussed above, there are the best ways to get weight loss surgery for low-income people. One of the best ways is government-funded weight loss surgery. Every year the federal government assists thousands of people with financial assistance for bariatric surgery. Here, we discuss further those federal government programs that aim to help people in every possible way. Some governmental or non-profit organizations help low-income people with free weight loss surgery grants. Read along.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a well-known popular federal government program. It aims to help people with various health issues by providing health insurance. However, Medicaid covers gastric bypass surgery in extreme cases. So, if you are looking for a gastric bypass surgery grant, then Medicaid is the program that may help you. We discussed earlier that it has its requirements to get the benefits of weight loss surgery for low-income programs.
They commonly ask for medical proof indicating that you meet certain weight qualifications. Also, I tried other methods to lose the extra fats. To learn more about the Medicaid program, you can contact them or ask your local agencies for eligibility and other information you need. We all discuss their requirements for their free weight loss surgery grants.
Medicare
Medicare is another federal government program that aims to help low-income families and individuals. It covers bariatric surgery that meets their eligibility criteria for morbid obesity. However, you have to meet your deductibles or copays for follow-up visits after the application procedure. To get more information about the medicare programs, you can go for the same Medicaid.
WLSFA
WLSFA stands for The Weight Loss Surgery Foundation Of America. It is a non-profit charitable organization that helps low-income people get weight loss treatment. This foundation raises funds to provide financial assistance for bariatric surgery. However, their financial assistance covers 90% of the weight loss surgery costs. These organizations also ask for requirements to get qualified for weight loss surgery for low-income people. The requirements are mentioned below:
To get benefits from the WLSFA, you must have a referral from your surgeon.
Either you have no insurance or are denied coverage, or your insurance does not cover your surgical treatment.
You must agree with them that you will raise money for 10% of the cost of the grant you receive. The money you raise will help the next person down the line.
In its 2010 inception, WLSFA assisted 28 people or only about three per year. However, they suspended financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic due to impacts on the funding they get from various sources.
ASMBS
ASMBS stands for the American Society for metabolic and bariatric surgery. They provide scientific research, free weight loss surgery for low-income people, and grants to combat obesity. However, their funding goes to doctors or uninsured patients.
Requirements To Get Free Gastric Sleeve Surgery
There are some requirements people must consider before going for any free gastric sleeve surgery. People need to understand that not only mentally but physically also require some preparations that they must follow. So, it would be best if you first underwent body check-ups because you need to be healthy enough as the surgeries include many things.
Only find weight loss surgery for low-income grants if you are approved for reconstructive surgery. However, you can only get the weight loss surgery grant when your insurance doesn’t cover the weight loss surgery. If your insurance covers the weight loss surgery, your application for government-funded weight loss surgery gets rejected. It doesn’t matter whether it covers full or partial your application for weight loss surgery grants may be rejected by the authorities.
Plus, you must support the program you applied to and raise at least 10% of the funds for the cost. So the others can also get the same financial assistance for bariatric surgery. Below are some pre-qualification checklists that one should check before applying for free gastric sleeve surgery.
- You must be a citizen of the united states.
- You are advised or physically qualified for the medical attention you need due to weight.
- You should not have insurance that covers the weight loss surgery cost(not even partially)
- Your income should be low, and you can’t afford the weight loss surgery
- Your surgeon must refer you to an organization to get government-funded weight loss surgery grants.
Remember, all these requirements are standard in non-profit organizations. But it may vary from place to place or program to program. Verify first that you are qualified or not, then only go for the application process.
Conclusion
Weight loss surgery for low-income is not an easy thing as it is a very expensive surgery. Due to weight, people face many hectic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and many more. They should get weight loss surgery as soon as possible. People who face worse health conditions due to weight need immediate attention. Several government-funded weight loss surgery provides help to low-income people. In this article, We discussed brief weight loss surgery grants.
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to qualify for weight loss surgery grants?
To qualify for government-funded weight loss surgery grants, you must meet the requirements set by the authorities. And your BMI body mass index should be 40 or higher than that. And if you have a BMI between 35 and 40 and obesity-related conditions, you may be eligible. Obesity-related conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or severe sleep apnea can make you eligible for free gastric sleeve surgery.
Who is not a candidate for weight loss surgery?
Patients whose BMI is not high enough cannot opt for surgeries. A BMI of 35 or more with one obesity problem is eligible for the surgery. Also, if your BMI is 40 or more, you are eligible for the free weight loss surgery grants.
How do I request a gastric sleeve?
simply make an appointment with your primary care physician. And tell your GP that you are interested in getting weight loss surgery and seeking a referral. Discuss your present health issues or any medications and explain to them how surgery may affect them.
Does insurance cover the gastric sleeve?
Most private health insurance covers bariatric surgery with their top-level hospital. In simple words, they provide financial assistance for bariatric surgery. The MBS (medicare benefits schedule) number for sleeve gastrectomy is 31575. We advise you to confirm your coverage with your insurance.
Can I get weight loss surgery on Medicare?
Unlike cosmetic surgeries, Medicare considers weight loss surgery grants a genuine health intervention. Every surgical procedure is listed in the large directory, which is known as MBS. Also, every surgical procedure has its unique number, find them and get information about the procedure.
How long do you stay in the hospital after bariatric surgery?
Most gastric bypass surgery is laparoscopic, meaning the surgeon makes small cuts. So the recovery time is short. However, most people stay 2 to 3 days after the surgery. And get back to normal activities within 3 to 5 weeks.
Does Medicaid pay for gastric bypass?
Medicaid mostly covers gastric bypass, sleeve, and Lap band surgery as these are the most popular in weight loss surgery. So, it is mainly accepted by Medicaid.