The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) believes passage of the “Patient Access to Evidence-Based Obesity Services” resolution by the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation’s largest physician group, will help in the fight to improve patient access to evidence-based obesity treatments including intensive behavioral counseling, FDA-approved obesity drugs and bariatric and metabolic surgery.

Currently, only 22 of 50 states have bariatric surgery listed as a covered benefit within the Affordable Care Act…

Read More

We are pleased to announce the release of the ACS/ASMBS standards for the Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). We appreciate the time and consideration you gave in reviewing and commenting on the standards as we worked to develop the guiding document for our joint accreditation program.  The ASMBS strongly believes in the value of accreditation in metabolic and bariatric surgery and looks forward to continued advances of this accreditation program as…

Read More

The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted in the unified accreditation program between the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) as outlined in the Resource Manual Optimal Care for the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patient 2014 standards document. 

New centers (not currently participating in the MBSAQIP) seeking status as a MBSAQIP Accredited…

Read More

Friday, July 26, 2013

Louis Jacques, MD Director, Coverage and Analysis Group CMS/OCSQ/Coverage and Analysis Group 7500 Security Blvd. Mailstop C1 -09-06 Baltimore, MD 21244

Re: CAG-00250R3 (National Coverage Analysis (NCA) for Bariatric Surgery for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity- Facility Certification Requirement) 

Dear Dr. Jacques,

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and American College of Surgeons along with all the undersigned professional societies have reviewed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…

Read More

Dear ASMBS members,

CMS has released their proposed decision on the COE/Accreditation requirement for Medicare patients on June 27, 2013:

Proposed Decision Memo for Bariatric Surgery for the Treatment of Morbid Obesity – Facility Certification Requirement (CAG-00250R3)

The CMS proposal relates: “In light of the lack of sufficient evidence that the certified/COE bariatric facilities have provided improved outcomes in Medicare beneficiaries since the 2006 NCD, CMS proposes to eliminate the requirement for facility certification/COE designation….

Read More

GAINESVILLE, FL – April 5, 2013 – Significant new scientific evidence published over the last four years has prompted three major medical societies to change its guidance on who should get metabolic and bariatric surgery and which methods should be used.

The new guidelines from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and The Obesity Society (TOS) were published in the latest issues of Surgery for…