Obesity is the root cause of many chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and asthma; and increases the likelihood of various types of cancers.
Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 found that of U.S. adults 20 years and older, 34.2 percent are overweight, 33.8 percent are obese, and 5.7 percent are morbidly obese. These alarming numbers and trends are being associated with 10 percent of all medical spend.1
The most effective treatment to date for significant, sustained weight loss for morbidly obese patients is bariatric surgery.2 Because clinical outcomes of bariatric surgery vary widely, receiving services at an OptumHealth Bariatric Resource Services (BRS) Center of Excellence (COE) facility can help ensure that bariatric surgery and care are delivered in a manner that meets strict standards and increases the likelihood of superior outcomes and ultimately reduces costs.
Our BRS clinical team works to help individuals understand and manage the conditions associated with morbid obesity before and after surgery and have reduced inappropriate surgeries by 5 percent.3 Successful weight loss is achieved through:
- Guidance to Centers of Excellence network facilities, helping to better control the disparity of care and variability of surgical outcomes.
- Multi-disciplinary bariatric clinical team approach.
- Case management 6-months post-surgery to assess for complications and to reinforce lifestyle changes.
- Behavioral support to reinforce lifestyle changes, nutrition, exercise, and encouragement to participate in bariatric support groups. Behavioral health support is coordinated with the client's behavioral health vendor.
1 Finkelstein, E, Trogdon, J, Cohen, J, Dietz, W. Annual medical spending atttributable to obesity: payer- and service-specific estimates. Health Affairs. September 2009; 28:w822-w831.
2 Rationale for the treatment of morbid obesity, Updated Nov. 23, 2005. American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery.
3 5 percent surgical avoidance based on 2009 average surgeries avoided across BRS book of business