US Medicare may cover Obesity Surgery
May 24, 2005
Obesity Epidemic has reached an alarming
rate of growth affecting the young, adults and the seniors.
Considering the severity of the issue
and the cost associated to its solutions, several device
makers and a group representing surgeons have asked
the U.S. government to pay for weight-loss surgery for
elderly and disabled people who are morbidly obese.
Medicare, the nation's health insurance
program for the elderly and disabled, covers 43 million
Americans.
The companies involved - Inamed Corp.
(IMDC.O), Tyco International Ltd.'s (TYC.N) US Surgical,
and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) unit Ethicon Endo-Surgery
Inc., have asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicare
Services (CMS) to extend the medical coverage to include
obesity as well.
"We believe this expansion, based
upon sound data, will improve the health, extend the
duration and enhance the quality of life of Medicare
beneficiaries," the doctors' group wrote.
Source: http://www.alertnet.org
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