Type 2 Diabetes & Medicare?

Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic worldwide and the CDC says 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 3 are pre-diabetic.   Type 2 diabetes is so often associated with obesity that a new term has been coined by the medical community known as diabesity. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 patients over the age of 65 now have diabetes , and it’s on the rise.  This is most likely one of the reasons that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services started covering weight loss surgery for Medicare recipients nearly a decade ago, as it has been shown to have a very high rate of diabetes resolution or remission. Gastric bypass, gastric sleeve, and even the Lap Band have all been shown to put diabetes into remission in a very high percentage of patients.  In fact, type 2 diabetes is becoming one of the major reasons patients are seeking weight loss surgery.  As these procedures are now minimally invasive and carry much lower risk than in the past, it is possible for a patient to have an outpatient operation and have a very good chance of eliminating type 2 diabetes. Most insurance companies that cover weight loss surgery, including Medicare, have certain criteria that a patient must meet in order to be eligible for weight loss surgery.  Typically, patients must have a BMI of 35-40 with a weight related medical issue like diabetes, or just have a BMI over 40 even if no weight related issues are present.  Weight loss surgery shouldn’t be a patient’s first attempt at losing weight either, so a past history of failed diets is usually a pre-requisite also. If you have Type 2 diabetes and have a BMI over 35, there is an excellent chance that a surgical weight loss procedure can transform your health by putting your diabetes into remission  Call us or make an appointment to find out if you might be a candidate!