The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has just announced a change in the scheme of its coverage of bariatric surgery as a treatment for type II diabetes in morbidly obese persons. Nothing more than the most anecdotal evidence exists in the medical literature about the feasibilty of such a procedure in retarding the effects of diabetes in those who remain obese — which makes this decision by CMS somewhat circumspect.

Although the government agency is restricting coverage to those with certain criteria (BMI cutoffs) who have the procedure done in CMS-certified facilities, the effect of this provision on the quality of treatment for both highly prevalent conditions is anyone’s guess — without certain randomized clinical trials to absolutely document the procedure’s safety and efficacy (not to mention cost neutrality) with respect to overall healthcare delivery and prevention in this patient population. | LINK

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