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Article: Heavy demand raises red tape for bariatric surgery.(Health Care)
- Article from:
- Crain's Cleveland Business
- Article date:
- November 3, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: EILEEN BEAL
More obese Northeast Ohioans are turning to weight loss surgery, prompting the creation of package plans at surgery centers to handle everything from pre-sur-gery counseling to post-surgery support.
However, the explosion of interest in what also is called gastric bypass or bariatric surgery - procedures that reduce the size of the stomach to promote weight loss - is reaching a bottleneck as insurers slow the rush to the operating room through pre-authorization red tape and leaner reimbursement rates. This is leading some patients to pay for the procedure themselves - a dangerous precedent, some experts say.
At present, about ...