Does Medi Cal Cover Weight Loss Surgery?

Most people are familiar with Medi Cal, but many are not sure if Medi Cal covers weight loss surgery. The answer to that question is not simple. One common misconception about Medi Cal is that it covers weight loss surgery. However, Medi Cal only pays for the prescription of medicine and does not pay for any medical care related to the weight loss surgery itself.

This is why you will often see a Medi Cal card that says "this card is only for prescription purposes". This means that the person getting the Medi Cal card will need to get surgery as an addition to their Medi Cal payments. Another common misconception is that Medi Cal covers all weight loss surgeries. Again, this is not true. In order to get coverage for surgery, a patient must have been prescribed by a doctor and the surgery must be performed by a certified physician.

Many people wonder what happens if they lose a significant amount of weight during Medi Cal. Some people decide to go back to their old routines, while others decide to go on a diet. Both of these methods are appropriate. If you've had some form of weight loss surgery, your doctor will likely recommend you for a diet. Depending on the type of surgery, this may mean following a special diet or it may mean eating a certain food group less often. If you do lose a significant amount of weight in Medi Cal, your provider will likely require that you keep up the lost weight by sticking to a diet and any scheduled weight loss exercises.

Not all surgeries are covered by Medi Cal. If you are having surgery to remove or repair a serious medical condition, there may be a time when Medi Cal will not help at all. For example, stomach stapling is usually covered by Medi Cal, but gastric bypass surgery is not. In these situations, you will have to pay for the prescription medications on your own. This can include expensive brand name prescriptions. In these cases, you should find out from your surgeon or doctor exactly which medications you will need and how much you will have to pay for them.

If you lose most or all of your weight, you may be able to get Medicare to cover your Medi Cal costs. It depends on the surgery you have and the part of the country you live in. Medicare Part B covers most Medicare prescriptions, so you may not need to look into Medicare Part A for your surgery. In addition, Medicare Part A may cover your surgery up to a certain point, depending on your income level. Your surgeon or doctor can explain the differences between Medicare and Part A, as well as the risks and benefits of each plan.

There are many things that can affect the amount of coverage that Medi Cal will provide when you have weight loss surgery. For example, if you are very obese, you may not qualify for Medi Cal coverage. Your surgeon or doctor will inform you of any issues that may arise with your BMI. In addition, if you have a medical condition, such as diabetes or hyperlipidemia, you may not qualify for Medi Cal. These conditions usually require a physician's referral, so you should check with your surgeon or doctor to find out exactly what they expect from your situation.

Once you know the basics about Medi Cal, you need to learn about the different plans. Depending on the surgery you have or your weight, there are different ways that Medi Cal will pay for the medications you will need after your surgery. Before you enroll in Medi Cal, you should call your physician and find out the details about Medi Cal coverage. There will often be a set waiting period, so you will want to make sure that you do not miss it. Also, because you will probably have to pay out-of-pocket for some of the expenses, you will want to find out how much the total costs will be.

Although it may seem overwhelming, signing up for Medi Cal is easy. Once you learn the basics, you can simply apply online. There is no obligation to go through with the plan once you find out how it works for your particular weight loss surgery. Therefore, before you make a decision, you should learn all you can about the Medi Cal program.