A study apparently shows that health-care costs for the obese are NOT reduced by systematic programmes of WLS.

Windsor Star

Weight-loss surgery fails to cut obesity costs

http://www.windsorstar.com/Weight+loss+surgery+fails+obesity +costs/8015792/story.html

 

It is definitely not good news. I noticed they were including banding which has not had as much success as other procedures. Hopefully the record they are now keeping in Canada will show a different result.

In Canada we have to go through the "process" we are educated and evaluated. A lot has been learned about how to ensure long term success... Statistics can prove both sides of the same point depending on where you focus the attention.
The research is based on past results, but the procedures and process has changed. I think this has no weight (no pun intended) really! This procedure helps so many people! As this procedure advances the associated costs will fall.

Article relates to other countries not Canada that is why Canada is now is complying their own data.

This is just another way for the insurance companies in the USA to not have to pay for WLS. We are lucky to live in Canada where we are fully funded in the USA they have to go through their insurance carrier and if they do not agree it does not get paid. 

I also hope the person in the picture consented for their picture to be all over the paper.

I dunno, but during my hospital stay two nurses were talking and I overheard them saying (giving me the impression that they were told this) that the ontario bariatric program will only last another 6 years.

 

no idea if this is just rumor, or if there is any data behind it. just what i did hear.

 

 

i'm sure its just rumours. Front line staff are often the last to hear of things like that, and don't usually find out a program is ending until its over. THey likely overheard a surgeon say something about it and then repeat it. Nurses (i'm one) are the WORST for gossip. lol

Anti smoking initiatives don't help health care costs, either. Smokers tend to die sooner, so don't tax the health care system as much.

Yes, you're not going to die of diabetes, but you might die from running too many marathons. lol. Sorry, gallows humour.

I think the USA is a entirely different "ball of wax" being that you have to have health coverage and possibly not all companies are willing to foot the bill, there is a way out of anything if someone TRIES hard enough

its a bit of a muddled article...including banding is defniitely a confounding variable in the study since its not an OHIP funded procedure at all.  It will be interesting to see the 5 year data that comes out of the Ontario bariatric programs when they reach that point and release it.  I'd say its just too early to evaluate Ontario's program at this point.

Bariatric surgery is not cost effective. I don't know why anyone would expect it to be. Fat people cost the healthcare system way less than healthy weight people over the course of their lifetimes because they die sooner and more suddenly - just like smokers. It would be really, really silly for anyone to think that bariatric surgery will save the healthcare system any money! That's not what it is about, it's about better quality of life and longer lives for the people that have bariatric surgery. The healthcare system should not be in the business of saving money, but making healthier citizens.