Yahoo Lifestyle 'I'm an Obesity Doctor, Here's How Much Bariatric Surgery Will Save You Over Ozempic'
For all the talk of Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and other weight loss drugs being damn near miraculous, they come at a significant cost—literally.
A new study from Northwestern University indicates that GLP-1s (the active ingredient in weight loss medications) will hit most patients much harder financially than bariatric surgery will. However, there are some caveats to this. Here, an obesity doctor explains the costs and benefits of each and breaks down the study so you and your care team can make the best choices for your personal health journey.
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How Much Does Bariatric Surgery Cost?
Bariatric surgery typically costs between $17,400 and $22,850, according to the study. While that sounds (and is!) pretty steep, it's important to remember that it's a one-time cost.
What's more, Dr. Mir B. Ali, MD, board certified bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, notes, "If patients meet the criteria for surgery, virtually all insurance carriers cover the surgery and typically the patient has a low out of pocket cost."
According to Dr. Ali, the criteria for both bariatric surgery and weight loss medications is generally based on the patient's body mass index (BMI), which is calculated based on height and weight. The normal BMI range is between 18 and 25.
"If a patient has a BMI of 40 (meaning they're roughly 80 to 100 pounds overweight for their height) or a BMI of 35 with other medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension, then they meet criteria for surgery," Dr. Ali says. "The criterion for medication is a BMI over 30 or a BMI 27 with other medical conditions."
Insurance may cover weight loss drugs if you have another medical condition tied to it, like diabetes or heart disease, but many won't cover prescriptions specifically for weight loss. Insurers sometimes determine coverage for weight loss medications on a case by case basis, so you'll want to check with your care team and insurance provider to make the best financial decision for yourself.
Related: How Do You Get a Prescription for Ozempic?
How Much Do Ozempic and Other Weight Loss Drugs Cost?
Like most things, the simplest answer to this is "it depends"—but generally speaking, it's a lot.
The study indicates that weight loss medications will typically set you back between $9,360 and $16,200 annually. This means that on the higher end, you're paying close to the amount of one bariatric surgery every single year for weight loss medications. On average, using weight loss drugs will cost you $9,094 more each year than just getting surgery once.
Related: What Really Happens When You Stop Taking Ozempic
What Are the Benefits of Bariatric Surgery Versus Weight Loss Medications?
Let's start with results, for one.
"Weight loss surgery has better long-term success, with the majority of patients keeping at least half the weight they lost for at least five years," Dr. Ali notes. This is in contrast with weight loss medications, as patients often regain weight if and when they stop taking weight loss drugs.
Dr. Ali also says that patients have metabolic benefits from surgery, including protection from developing medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, and that the procedure as a whole is generally low risk to boot.
That said, weight loss medications have benefits as well: They pose no surgical risks (obviously) and do provide some metabolic effects, according to Dr. Ali. The downsides to medications, aside from patients potentially regaining weight, are potential side effects like nausea, patients with certain thyroid conditions being unable to take them and that patients will have to use the drugs long-term.
Related: What You Can Expect From the Weight Loss Drug Ozempic Week By Week
Can You Use Ozempic and Weight Loss Medications If You Have Bariatric Surgery?
You sure can, and it's actually the most cost-effective way to maintain weight loss, according to the Northwestern study. Researchers found that combining bariatric surgery with GLP-1s not only saved patients an average of $7,200 annually, but also sustained successful weight loss results and a generally higher quality of life for a longer period than either surgery or weight loss drugs alone.
Anne Stey, a lead investigator in the study, told Axios, "Understanding if and how these different obesity management options are cost effective is critical to ensure as many people have access to these medications as possible."
Stey noted that weight loss drugs may eventually be more cost-effective than surgery—but that the drug manufacturers would have to cut their prices by a whopping 75% to make that happen.
Obviously, the only way to determine which avenue is best for your specific weight loss journey is to talk to your doctor — but having these figures handy may help you and your care team develop a plan that's not only effective, but also affordable for you.
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Sources
Joseph E Sanchez, Alexander Lundberg, Whitney N. Jones, Catherine S. Valukas, Tara Lagu, Ezra N. Teitelbaum, Anne Stey. "Comparative Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Bariatric Surgery and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for the Management of Obesity." Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
