This makes the operation relatively expensive. Although it is not primarily a cosmetic operation, many medical aids specifically exclude this from their benefit basket. A few of the top plans of certain medical aids do fund 80% of the procedure, with the remaining 20% being for the patient’s own account. Only accredited units (like ours) will be funded by medical aids.
It is important to realize that the actual procedure is but a part of the bariatric patient journey. (See ‘Patient journey’). Preparation, work-up and follow up incur additional costs. Most medical aids will cover these but depending on plan type it may come out of ‘day to day’ expenses. After the surgery, long-term vitamin supplementation is necessary. Adequate funds need to be available for this.
When considering private funding, patients who require financing may make use of Medifin (medifin.co.za) – a Cape-Town based medical finance provider who will fund up to R 100 000 of the procedure cost over anything from 6 to 48 months.
A complete schedule of costs is available on request from Dr Van Niekerk’s rooms: email denise@hiltonsurgeon.co.za
Bariatric surgery aims to provide a realistic chance at changing the trajectory of a person’s life. This is with regards to the quality of life, confidence, longevity, and good health. (See ‘Diseases of obesity’). The magnitude of these needs to be remembered when considering the financial investment required.
