Applying for an Appointment at Duke
Weight loss surgery is a life-changing procedure -- so
before you make an appointment, we want to help you make sure
that surgery is the right choice for you.
For that reason, we ask all patients interested in weight
loss surgery at Duke to investigate their insurance coverage
and attend a free informational seminar before applying for
weight loss surgery.
More information on each of these steps is below. Click a
link to navigate down the page for more information.
Step 1: Investigate Insurance
Coverage
Step 2: Register to Attend a Free Seminar:
Call 866-637-0711
Step 3: Apply for Weight Loss Surgery at
Duke
Step 1: Investigate Insurance Coverage
Before you consider weight loss surgery as an option in
managing your obesity, you should contact your
insurance company to verify two things:
- Weight loss surgery is covered by your policy
- Durham Regional Hospital and the physicians of the
Private Diagnostic Clinic at Duke University Medical Center
are part of your coverage.
Some policies exclude all types of weight loss surgery.
When you call your insurance company, they will want to know
the following:
- The codes for the operative procedures:
CPT 43644 (Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass)
CPT 43770 (Lap-Band® Procedure)
- The diagnosis code for obesity: ICD-9 278.01
To qualify for insurance coverage, you must have a
body mass index of 40 or more.
You may be eligible
for the surgery If your body mass index is between 35 and 39
and you have at least one major medical problem that is
aggravated by obesity, such as:
- Respiratory problems (sleep apnea or hypoventilation
syndrome)
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
Using your height and weight, you can calculate your ideal
body weight and body mass index
online.
There are many different types of health insurance policies,
and many have strict guidelines for reimbursement for weight
reduction surgery. Some have co-payments that may be quite
high. For patients covered by managed care programs, you must
be referred to our clinic by your primary care physician.
It is very important for you to review your policy’s
guidelines and referral requirements before being seen by the
Weight Loss Surgery Clinic. Failure to do so may mean that you
have to pay more money for the clinic visit and surgery. If you
do not know if you need a referral, call your insurance company
or physician to be sure.
Health care services provided by the Duke University Health
System and Durham Regional Hospital are billed to your
insurance carrier on your behalf.
Step 2: Register to Attend a Free Seminar
Before you pursue weight loss surgery, it is essential that
you learn as much as you can about the procedure and how it
will affect your body and lifestyle. We hold a free
introductory seminar at Durham Regional
Hospital.
At our seminar, you can:
- Learn about the weight-loss procedures and their typical
results
- Learn about Duke’s approach to weight loss surgery
- Meet our surgical and medical staff
You can view a video of one of our previous seminars
online to get an idea of what will be covered, or to review
what you heard after you attend.
You should bring your spouse or other support person with
you. Much of the seminar is spent discussing not only potential
benefits of surgery, but also possible complications and risks
of surgery. We also discuss the help you may need
postoperative. The more your support person knows about this
operation, the more he or she can help.
To register for a seminar, please call 1-866-637-0711.
Registration is required and space is limited.
We feel it is very important that you know as much as you
can before considering a surgical approach to the management of
obesity. For that reason we have made attendance at one
of these seminars mandatory for acceptance of your
application for surgical consideration.
Step 3: Apply for Weight Loss Surgery at Duke
Once you have attended a seminar, you can apply for surgery.
To apply, follow the link below to log in to our secure site.
You'll need to enter details about your health history.
Apply now for weight loss surgery at Duke
