Survey finds low awareness and high costs limit bariatric surgery access

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Insurance-related barriers are delaying timely and essential bariatric and metabolic surgery for patients living with severe obesity, a survey conducted by an organisation working in the field has found. It also found that nearly all surgeons feel the insurance processes need major streamlining to improve access to health care.

Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSI) had conducted a survey, which brought to light that 87.2 per cent surgeons saw higher patient interest after the 2019 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) mandate for inclusion of bariatric and metabolic surgery.

However, most surgeons reported under-utilisation of insurance coverage due to low awareness, high out-of-pocket costs and complex paperwork. A striking 95.4 per cent of surgeons said patients delay surgery while waiting for approval, and 69.7 per cent rated the entire insurance approval process as complicated.

Most surgeons (76.1 per cent) said patients are unaware that insurance covers bariatric surgery even when medical criteria are met, and actual utilisation remains low. "Those recommended for metabolic surgery should proceed without delay, as postponing treatment only worsens obesity-related diseases. Early treatment supports faster recovery, better health outcomes," OSSI president Dr Randeep Wadhawan said.

To understand the insurance gaps that continue to hinder access to life-saving bariatric and metabolic surgery in India, OSSI conducted a cross-sectional survey among 109 bariatric surgeons from multiple states between November 2024 and March 2025. India is witnessing an alarming rise in obesity and the overall prevalence is set to triple in numbers by the year 2040, OSSI found.

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