Weight Loss Surgery Cost - Gastric Sleeve, Bypass, and Lap-Band Prices
Gastric sleeve: $10,000-$20,000. Gastric bypass: $15,000-$30,000. Insurance coverage, financing, and medical tourism options.
Written by FairVisitHealth Editorial Team · Healthcare Pricing Analysts
Medically & editorially reviewed by the FairVisitHealth Clinical Team (Clinical & Billing Review). Data sourced from CMS, HRSA, and hospital price transparency filings.
Weight Loss Surgery Pricing by Procedure
Gastric Sleeve (most popular): $10,000-$20,000 fair market, $15,000-$35,000 hospital. Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y): $15,000-$30,000 fair market, $25,000-$55,000 hospital. Lap-Band: $8,000-$15,000 fair market, $10,000-$25,000 hospital. Duodenal Switch: $20,000-$35,000 fair market.
Insurance Coverage
Most major insurers now cover bariatric surgery when specific criteria are met: BMI 40+ (or 35+ with comorbidities like diabetes, sleep apnea, or hypertension), documentation of supervised weight loss attempts (typically 3-6 months), psychological evaluation, and nutritional counseling. Meeting these requirements takes 3-12 months depending on your insurer.
Medical Tourism for Bariatric Surgery
Mexico is the most popular medical tourism destination for bariatric surgery, with prices of $4,000-$8,000 for gastric sleeve at JCI-accredited hospitals. Tijuana, Guadalajara, and Monterrey have established bariatric surgery centers with English-speaking staff.
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