Home / Treatments / Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric Surgery denials: what the review data shows
Independent reviewers have decided 53 published cases where an insurer denied Bariatric Surgery — and they overturned the insurer 52.8% of the time. A denial for Bariatric Surgery is a starting position, not a final answer.
Published decisions
53
2001–2026
Overturned
52.8%
28 denials reversed
By condition
Published outcomes when Bariatric Surgery was denied for these conditions.
| Condition | Decisions | Overturned |
|---|---|---|
| Morbid Obesity | 38 | 60.5% |
| Obesity | 12 | 41.7% |
How to use this in your appeal
These are outcomes from California’s external review program — an independent physician panel that binds the insurer. Every state has an equivalent process, and internal appeals succeed even more often. Cite the outcome record for Bariatric Surgerywhen you appeal: reviewers routinely find that denials like yours didn’t hold up.
SOURCE: CALIFORNIA DMHC INDEPENDENT MEDICAL REVIEW OUTCOMES (CHHS OPEN DATA) · DERIVED AGGREGATE STATISTICS ONLY · METHODOLOGY
Not legal or medical advice. Coverage Rights is a self-help tool that helps you prepare your own appeal. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney or your doctor.