Body Mass Index

The main qualification to have weight loss surgery is based on an individual’s body mass index (or BMI.) This is something that’s easy to calculate and is really just a formula that takes your height and weight into consideration and it spits out a number. In order to have weight loss surgery and to have your insurance company cover it, a patient needs to have a body mass index of 40 or greater if they have no medical problems. Or it can be as low as 35 and greater if they do have some medical problems that are related to their weight – things like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea, for example.