Lapband coverage in Ontario

Someone told me today that the lapband is now covered in Ontario.  I find this hard to believe.  Does anyone else know about this?

I doubt it as well. Can't see them bending on that one, I think we would have seen an announcement. They are trying to narrow the choice down to RnY only, most have to fight to get any other option considered like the VSG or DS.

 It is not.  You may be able to get a private insurance company you have through work to pay for some aspects of the band process, such as the nutritional counseling.  Possibly that is the source of the confusion.  OHIP definitely does not cover the band.

It's covered if you are military by their insurance carrier and the OHIP are just starting to cover it for obese children that meet certain criteria but I'm not sure if they have started the kids yet

That's really interesting, Tracey!  I understand the kids, certainly, but why would OHIP cover it for the Military but not the average obese person?

OHIP doesn't cover it for the military, their own insurance does.  Maybe that part wasn't clear in my post.

Oh, too bad!  I thought it might be a gateway to getting it approved throughout OHIP.

OHIP will not pay for lapband, for the following reasons.........

It has the lowest sucess rate of all types of WLS, and it is the easiest to "fiddle with " by enlarging the lap band, from the outside, to make the pouch bigger.  The most obvious reason is that it is "completely reversable " by removing the band surgically.

If you want it, you can get it in Ontario, at a private clinic, for a price between 16,000 and 20,000 dollars of your own money.

Jim B.                 Toronto.

And if you go to a reputable clinic, trust me there is no fiddling with your fill level.  They won't fill and defill just so you can go on vacation or go out and pig out.  You are sadly misinformed as well since we don't have a pouch and the band does not move so therefore it does not make either part of the stomach bigger or smaller, what a fill does is narrow the opening from the top part to the bottom part.  Lowest success rate is very subjective as well considering all the studides include stats from the US where the clinics there are famously known for poor follow up.  Until the day I see a study done by a reputable Canadian Clinic about the bands, I will reserve judgment on how poor the results are.

OHIP doesn't pay for the Lap-band because they are  too cheap and too many people would be lining up to get them.    Please get the terminology straight as you do not "enlarge the lap-band" and professionals do not "fiddle" with it.  For many the Lap-band is a great option and as a revision from VBG who has had one for over four years I'm thrilled with mine.