Committee News
The Rural Subcommittee is holding an open forum conference call for ASMBS membesrhip to discuss the COE volume criteria. Call will take place on Monday, November 7th. Open Invitation to all ASMBS Members to Participate Monday, November 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST The Rural Subcommittee of the Quality/Standards Committee is inviting all interested ASMBS members to participate in an open forum conference call on Monday, November 7, 2011 at 8:00 pm EST. For rural and small volume programs, the 125 procedure annual requirement to become an ASMBS BSCOE is a difficult obstacle to overcome. Many times, the requirement is never...
Updated Position Statement on Sleeve Gastrectomy as a Bariatric Procedure Revised 10/28/11 The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) has previously published two position statements on the use of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) as a bariatric procedure.These position statements were developed in response to inquiries made to the society by patients, physicians, hospitals, health insurance payers, the media, and others regarding new procedures or issues within our specialty that require close evaluation and evidence-based scrutiny. In the evolving field of bariatric surgery, it is periodically necessary to provide updated position statements based on a growing or changing body of evidence....
The following position statement is issued by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in response to numerous inquires made to the Society by patients, physicians, society members, hospitals, and others regarding global travel and medical tourism for bariatric surgery procedures. In this statement, available data are summarized regarding this issue based on current knowledge, expert opinion, and published peer-reviewed scientific evidence available at this time. The intent of issuing such a statement is to provide objective information about the risk and benefits of travelling long distances for bariatric procedures, either out of necessity or as part of a medical tourism package, and to provide recommendations...
ASMBS responds to CMS call for comment on Sleeve Gastrectomy The following is an excerpt of a letter from the ASMBS. To read all please download the PDF. October 24, 2011 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 7500 Security Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21244 cc: Joseph Chin, MD, MS Dear Dr. Berwick: The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery is pleased to support the recent decision by CMS to open a national coverage determination reconsideration in order to review the new evidence for the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) as a primary bariatric surgery. We are fully confident that CMS will find there...
Developing the ASMBS Coverage Map: Requesting Help from all Bariatric and Insurance Coordinators ASMBS is developing a comprehensive map of the United States that will provide the leadership with useful insurance information about coverage for bariatric surgery. The coverage map will be used to identify where insurance coverage and provider deficiencies exist, thus allowing the ASMBS leadership to focus their efforts and develop strategies to correct the disparity within these regions of the country. The map will also be available as a general reference for the ASMBS membership, where information can be obtained regarding bariatric surgery insurance coverage, pre‐authorizations, mandates...
Attention Current Fellows: The application window will open the Fall of 2012. This will be available to all 2011 and 2012 graduates from Fellowship Council Accredited Programs and meet the ASMBS Core Curriculum. On September 15, 2011, ASMBS President, Robin Blackstone, MD and Bariatric Surgery Training Committee Chair, Samer Mattar, MD announced the 2011 Fellowship Certificate Program. The program serves to acknowledge surgeons who have completed their training in an accredited fellowship program and who have met the educational and training requirements needed to practice safe and effective bariatric surgery (according to fellowship training standards established by the ASMBS.) The objective...
The Patient Safety Committee’s Clinical Mentor Program is now available for members of the ASMBS. This program provides the opportunity for surgeons to connect with other surgeons (volunteers) for assistance in managing unusual, difficult or unfamiliar clinical cases/problems. The volunteer clinical mentors provide their contact information, the hours they are willing to be contacted, and any specifics in their area of expertise, which is made available in the member’s only section of the ASMBS website. Some volunteers will be accessible 24/7. Please keep in mind that you are solely responsible for the decisions made regarding your patients. The clinical mentors...
ASMBS Industry Advertising Committee The ASMBS Executive Council authorized the formation of this committee to examine advertising for SOARD (should there be a question about any submitted advertisement) and for our annual meetings. Other editors (Obesity Surgery Journal, Bariatric Times, etc.) who have an ad they feel may be an error could also use the committee as needed for review of any particular ad. The following advertising policy was developed by the ASMBS Corporate Council and unanimously approved by the Executive Council. Advertisement Policy: The ASMBS welcomes advertising in its publications and at its educational events as an important means...
The End of Bariatric Surgery As We Know It? Or Our Greatest Victory! The fight over exclusion of bariatric surgery as a covered benefit in the Affordable Care Act (aka: Healthcare Reform) is just starting to shape up. A doomsday scenario would look something like this: Bariatric surgery is excluded as an essential benefit and will therefore not be offered in ANY of the healthcare exchanges. Private insurers look at this determination and mirror the decision in their own plans leaving those individuals seeking bariatric surgery left to figure out how they are going to pay for this life-changing, life-saving...
National “Essential Benefits” fight With ASMBS President Robin Blackstone in the lead, we are addressing the Essential Health Benefits Plan to include bariatric surgery. Currently, Health and Human Services in the White House are reviewing documents from the Department of Labor, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Department of Labor to decide on the Essential Benefits Plan and ASMBS leadership is reaching out to all concerned. Georgia Cuts Bariatric Coverage Also, on the Access to Care front, we have recently learned that the state of Georgia is planning to cut coverage for its employees. The Rapid Response Team, led by...
June 17 – 22, 2012 | San Diego, CA
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SOARD
The official journal of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
