Researchers at University of Pittsburgh Have Reported New Data on Panniculectomy (Insurance coverage for massive weight loss panniculectomy: a…

Researchers at University of Pittsburgh Have Reported New Data on Panniculectomy (Insurance coverage for massive weight loss panniculectomy: a national survey and implications for policy)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Investigators publish new report on Surgery. According to news reporting out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, "Current panniculectomy coverage guidelines are developed by insurance companies, and surgeons have limited input as to what policies are fair to physicians and patients. In this study, for the first time, plastic surgeons were surveyed nationally to determine their opinions on which coverage criteria are clear, reasonable, and accessible."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of Pittsburgh, "The objective of this study was to compare how frequently insurance companies use panniculectomy coverage criteria versus how favorably plastic surgeons assess these criteria. United States plastic surgery practices. Panniculectomy coverage criteria were compiled from third-party payors nationally. A survey using these criteria to assess the clarity, accessibility, and reasonability of each criterion was created and distributed to all members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. According to survey responses from plastic surgeons, the highest ranking criteria for panniculectomy coverage were 'Patient is weight stable for at least 6 months' and 'Patient must be at least 18 months post-bariatric surgery.' These criteria were required by only 41.3% and 39.7% of insurance providers, respectively. The most common requirement for insurance coverage was 'Chronic maceration of skin folds with failure to respond to at least 3 months of treatment with oral or topical medication.' This was necessary for coverage by 81% of insurance providers, yet plastic surgeons ranked this criterion 12th of 17 criteria. Here we present a physician assessment of insurance criteria for the coverage of panniculectomy."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Given the discrepancy between how favorably a criterion is scored by plastic surgeons and how frequently it is required by third-party payors for coverage, we conclude that more physician involvement in the development of insurance coverage guidelines would be beneficial."

For more information on this research see: Insurance coverage for massive weight loss panniculectomy: a national survey and implications for policy. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 2016;12(2):412-416. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc, 360 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases - www.journals.elsevier.com/surgery-for-obesity-and-related-diseases/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting S.E. Dreifuss, University of Pittsburgh, Dept. of Plast Surg, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Keywords for this news article include: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, Panniculectomy, Bariatric Surgery, North and Central America

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