Bariatric Surgery Evaluation for Insurance
Some insurance companies require psychological evaluations prior to Bariatric Surgery. Some surgeons require it for patients who have psychological issues or for those who may be at risk for developing psychological symptoms before or after surgery.
In any event, Dr. Harvey perceives the need for these evaluations. Any form of weight loss surgery or weight loss without surgery is a major change in every life function.
- Shopping differently for food
- Cooking differently
- Shopping for different styles and sizes of clothing
- Managing how you eat at family and social occasions
- Ordering differently when you dine out
- Exercising
- Intimacy with your spouse or partner
- Raising your children – teaching them about healthy foods and eating habits
- Changes in your self-esteem
on it goes …
Seeing a psychologist for bariatric surgery is similar to seeing a cardiologist before surgery, called surgical clearance.
There are a number of reasons for this clearance in weight loss surgery:
- To identify a person’s cognitive ability to make decisions based on the benefits and risks of the procedure
- To determine whether there are current psychological issues and/or stress that could interfere with a person’s ability and resources to be able to focus on recovery
- To assess the patient’s support system