Although payment arrangements are often acceptable to pay for weight loss surgery, you could end up paying a substantial amount of money on a monthly basis. If you can't comfortably afford to pay the equivalence of a car payment each month yet your insurance refuses to cover all or most of your surgery, your best bet would be to appeal the insurance's decision. Have your doctor send letters on your behalf, describing health conditions that are caused by your obesity and how these conditions could end up being more expensive than the surgery as they progress.

If on the other hand, you have no health insurance, you should by all means check to see if you're eligible for your state's health insurance, such as Medicaid. Most state Medicaid plans cover weight loss surgery without any anticipated denials as long as it's proven that the surgery is medically necessary. The problem with state health insurance is that in order to qualify, your income must be extremely low. Unfortunately, if you're working even part time, then you most likely don't qualify for Medicaid. If you check your local Yellow Pages, you will be able to locate and contact any special insurance plans created specifically for those wishing to undergo surgery to lose weight.

If you have fairly good credit, obtaining a loan from your bank or credit union is always an option. Your payments may or may not be lower than if you receive financing through the bariatric center where you're having your procedure done. There are also numerous types of finance companies that specialize in providing loans for all types of medical procedures, including some specifically for weight loss surgery. These types of finance companies usually require good credit, so if yours is less-than-perfect than you may be better off choosing another option.

If you've made the decision to rid yourself of your excess weight by opting for surgery, don't worry about not being able to pay the costs that you're responsible for. Whether your insurance agrees to pay all, some, or nothing at all, if you're determined to get weight loss surgery, there are ways to finance your surgery. If your situation is dire, and you need the surgery to help reverse life threatening conditions, there are charities available that may donate money toward your surgery. Your bariatric surgeon can refer you to such organizations.

If you are very obese and your excess weight is minimizing your quality of life, yet you have exhausted all of your financing options, you should be aware that there are alternatives to weight loss surgery. By choosing a healthy, safe alternative, you'll not only be minimizing your chances of experiencing the life threatening complications of surgery, but you'll also save a great deal of money as well. There are wonderful, successful programs, such as Medifast, a medically supervised weight loss program, Weight Watchers, Nutri-System, and many others that cost substantially less than surgery, but work just as well.