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Health Insurance Covered Weight Loss Surgery Information and Costs

Having private health insurance is certainly encouraged when undergoing Bariatric procedures. Although private health insurance will cover a good portion of your surgical procedure, please keep in mind that all elective procedures incur out of pocket expenses. These prices vary for each procedure and are based on patient medical circumstances. 

Not all Health Insurance covers bariatric surgery. To find out if you are covered, contact your health fund and quote the following Medicare item number:

  • Sleeve Gastrectomy: Item no. 31575
  • Gastric Bypass: Item no. 31572
  • Gastric Balloon: No Medicare Item no. (admission to hospital won’t be covered by your health fund for the Orbera Balloon. This will be an out of pocket fee)
  • Abdominoplasty: Item no. 30177

Gastric Sleeve Care Package Fee: $6,900

This includes:

  • Surgeon
  • Surgical Assistant
  • Follow-up care with Dr Reza Adib*
  • Dietitian program post-op 

Additional Fees to be expected:

  • Initial Dietitian $160 which is claimable through health fund extras cover.
  • Anaesthetist for the procedure $500*approximately
  • Hospital Excess
  • Pathology and Radiology

* Please note that it is the patients responsibility to ensure that they have a current GP referral for all of their follow up appointments with Dr Reza Adib.

Orbera Balloon Care Package Fee: $5,900

This includes:

  • Insertion and removal of the Orbera Balloon performed by Dr Adib
  • Orbera Balloon Device
  • 6 months follow-up care & diet plan with our Dietitian

Additional Fees to be expected:

  • Initial Dietitian Consultation: $160
  • Anaesthetist (for insertion and removal) – $350 each *approx
  • Hospital (for insertion and removal) – $866 for each admission *approx

Total cost: $8,500 approx

Bypass (Primary) Care Package Fee: $8,900**

This will include:

  • Surgeon
  • Surgical Assistant
  • Follow-up care with Dr Reza Adib*
  • Dietitian program post-op 

Additional fees to be expected: 

  • Initial Dietitian Consultation: $160 which may be claimable through health fund extras.
  • Anaesthetist: $800 – $1700
  • Hospital Excess
  • Pathology and Radiology: $280

**The price may vary depending on patients medical circumstances 

* Please note that it is the patients responsibility to ensure that they have a current GP referral for all of their follow up appointments with Dr Reza Adib.

Abdominoplasty Care Package Fee: $7,000

This includes:

  • Surgeon
  • Surgical Assistant
  • Surgical Garments
  • Follow-up care with Dr Reza Adib*

Additional Fees to be expected:

  • Anaesthetist for the procedure $1,800
  • Hospital Excess
  • Pathology and Medication

* Please note that it is the patients responsibility to ensure that they have a current GP referral for all of their follow up appointments with Dr Reza Adib.

Accelerate Program Fee: $1,800*

This includes:

  • Initial Consultation
  • Weekly Dietitian Consultations
  • Meal replacements for the duration of the program
  • Final Consultation with Dr Adib

Additional Fees to be expected:

  • Medication costs*

* You may be able to claim a portion of this fee back if you have Health Insurance Extras. It is the patients responsibility to ensure that they have a current GP referral for all of their appointments.

Is there a wait time for any of these procedures?

There are no wait times for obesity procedures at the Brisbane Obesity Clinic. Dr Reza Adib operates frequently, therefore eliminating wait times for our patients. However, if you choose to access early release of superannuation to fund the procedure there can be up to a 4 – 6 week wait due to the application process.

Want to access early release of superannuation to pay for your weight loss surgery? Find out how here.

 

Are you sure that you are covered?

If you are considering a bariatric procedure and you have private health insurance, we strongly advise all patients to check that they have an appropriate level of cover. Not all private health insurance covers bariatric procedures. To find out if you are covered for a particular procedure simply phone your private health insurer and quote the surgical item numbers listed below.

It is important to know that some of the more basic levels of private health cover such as extras-only cover, may not include weight loss surgery.

To find out if you are covered, contact your health fund and quote the following Medicare item number:

  • Sleeve Gastrectomy: Item no. 31575
  • Gastric Bypass: Item no. 31572
  • Gastric Balloon: Item no. 30473
  • Abdominoplasty: Item no. 30177

It is highly advisable to have private insurance before undergoing any of these procedures. This is due to unexpected prolongations of inpatient stay and unplanned further surgery (although uncommon) which can greatly inflate the overall cost. With private insurance, this would be absorbed by the health fund. 

A 12-month waiting period usually applies if you have recently joined a health fund. Bariatric surgery is NOT considered cosmetic surgery.  It has a Medicare item number and is recognised by all the major health funds.

 

However, if you do not have private health insurance, you may still undergo bariatric surgery following a consultation and assessment with Dr Reza Adib. 

To find out more about uninsured prices, click here.

 

Find out more information on the obesity services provided: